Flight of the Phoenix
by ericastwilight
Summary: Bella Swan never moved to Forks with her father. Her first encounter with Edward is 30,000 feet in the air on the way to college,with no means of escape. Can he resist the call of her blood? From the fire, someone will be reborn. On Hiatus
1. Taking Flight

**AN: This is being slowly beta'd by the lovely lisa89, thank you**

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Flight of the Phoenix

**Chapter One – Taking Flight**

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~ Bella

I finally decided it was time to see my father Charlie again; it had been the past that I'd last gone for a visit. Though I had my reasons for staying away, he was not one of them.

I was leaving to college in New Hampshire in just a few short weeks. Preparations had been made to make my move go as smoothly as possible. Though my mother had cried for days, refusing to speak to me when I'd been accepted to Dartmouth, she wanted me to be happy.

I was supposed to have moved to Forks, Washington with my father during my junior year in high school, but had decided against it. It had been a smart move in my opinion, because if I had, I might not have gotten the full ride to college I'd received while living with my mother in Florida. The program I'd been enrolled in while attending high school was only offered to Jacksonville residents.

Living with my mother and her new husband had been a bit unpleasant. It hadn't been easy putting up with their public acts of affection. Though they'd tried to hide it, it had seemed at times that they just couldn't help themselves. So, I'd tried to avoid their lovey-dovey tendencies as much as I could. There was only so much I could take.

My parents had gotten divorced when I was very young. I'd spent most of my summers with my father, but I'd put my foot down for the past few years, forcing him to take a vacation with me in California. Why spend _summer_ there if it was going to rain ninety percent of my stay?

I loved my father, but Forks was a rainy, too-green sleepy little town. Nothing exciting happened in Forks, _ever_.

My last visit to Forks had been due to Charlie's silent plea for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. That was my dad for you. A man of very few words; his silent plea had consisted of his friend Billy asking me to come. _Thanks, Dad, way to guilt-trip me._ Of course, I couldn't deny the simple request.

I'd been staying at Charlie's house for the past two weeks. I didn't really venture out to town; I didn't know anybody here. That, and there was hardly anything to do in this town. Downtown consisted of one street, three restaurants, one camping equipment store and a hardware store. Fun, huh?

There wasn't even a coffee house here. I could get coffee at the local diner. but it was black. These Forks folk seemed to have no sense of adventure.

Charlie tried to get me to go fishing with his best friend Billy Black and his son Jacob, but I reminded him that I would likely rock the boat and fall out. I'd done it before, so why take chances?

He laughed and nodded in agreement. He didn't know that I had my reasons for not seeing Jacob. That was another story I was still not ready to "reread" again.

I decided to go shopping for food at the only grocery store in town. I went down an aisle of cookies and crackers, in the mood for Oreos.

Standing in the middle of the aisle was a beautiful woman with a heart-shaped face, pale skin and soft caramel-colored hair. She was reading the ingredients on the back of a box of crackers, her brow scrunched in frustration. She looked up and smiled when she noticed me staring.

"Excuse me, dear, do you know if these crackers would go with brae?" she asked with a smile. I was momentarily stunned by the beauty of her tawny eyes. She remained me so much of the actresses on the red carpets in the 1950's.

"Actually, those crackers are too buttery, they'll take away from the cheese. Your best bet is this one." I took another box of crackers from the shelf and handed it to her.

She smiled and looked at the box I'd handed her and placed the other on the shelf. "Thank you." Her bell-like voice reminded me of the reason I was down this aisle.

"I noticed you're wearing a Dartmouth t-shirt. Are you attending college there?" I looked down at my t-shirt and smiled.

"I'm starting this fall. I'm here visiting my father before I move there." I was positive my father had been bragging about my scholarship to anyone willing to listen. I flushed slightly, realizing that I was part of the local town gossip. I hated attention in any form.

"I knew there was a reason I couldn't place you. You didn't attend school here. Who is your father, dear? I might know him," the beautiful woman inquired.

"I'm Charlie Swan's daughter, Bella Swan. He's the Chief of Police here."

Recognition flickered over her facial features, and I knew then that I was right in my assumption.

"Yes, he speaks highly of you. It's nice to meet you. I'm Esme Cullen." She extended her hand and I shook it, not really expecting the cold, firm grip. I tried to keep from reacting to her cold touch. Her last name got my attention, though.

"Maybe you'll bump into my son Edward at school. He's also attending Dartmouth this fall also. I have to run. It was nice to meet you, Bella."

"It's nice to meet you, too." I smiled as I watched her leave in a hurry. I shrugged my shoulders and grabbed some Oreos. After I grabbed a few more items, I checked out and headed to my rental car.

Parked beside me was Esme. She was packing her groceries into the trunk of a silver Volvo. I noticed the shopping cart starting to move away, about to hit another car. I quickly grabbed it and caught it before it hit anything. I was amazed that I'd managed not to hurt myself. Rolling runaway carts were not for the uncoordinated.

"Thank you, Bella, dear. That's what I get for trying to fit too many things in this car," Esme exclaimed, still with two bags in her arms.

I laughed. "No problem, Mrs. Cullen. Let me give you a hand." I opened the passenger door and helped her put the rest of her bags in the backseat. Just as I was about to close the door, I felt a cold breeze rush, and I felt someone standing behind me.

I turned to look, and there standing beside me was this exquisite tiny woman with inky black spiky hair and pale skin. She was fully loaded with bundles of fresh flowers.

"Sorry, Bella, this is my daughter, Alice Cullen. Alice, this is Bella Swan, Chief Swan's daughter. Bella is attending Dartmouth this fall." Esme smiled with a knowing look on her beautiful face.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella. I wish you'd come to school here before. I bet we could've been really great friends," Alice stated without a doubt in her mind.

"It's nice to meet you too, Alice. I must admit, if I'd known there were such nice people here, I might have moved two years ago, like I was supposed to." I chuckled.

Suddenly, I noticed Alice stiffen, and her eyes glazed over. "Alice, are you alright?" Immediately, Esme was by Alice's side and put her hand on her shoulder. Alice snapped out of what appeared to be a trance-like state.

"Sorry… uhh… spaced out. It was nice to meet you. I'll look you up when I visit my brother." Alice seemed to be stumbling for words and wouldn't look at me again.

"That would be very nice, Alice." I waved to both Alice and Esme as I put my one bag in the car and left the two women that started talking immediately with each other once I was out of earshot. I suppressed a shudder as a memory stirred my imagination. The pale and cold skin triggered something in my mind that I had tried to forget.

A story that now begged to be _reread_.

**~Alice**

"What did you see Alice?" Esme asked me as Bella drove away.

"Bella, dead – she was attacked by a vampire. Umm… a news broadcast of a plane crash. It keeps changing… I also see her with red eyes also. I don't know what it all means. It seems like there is still a decision that must be made to make it clearer," I complained.

Seeing humans was always harder than seeing those of my own kind. The images kept coming and changing with each passing second.

"Do you think it has something to do with Edward?" Esme asked me nervously.

"I don't know. Nothing is clear… it's too blurry." I shuddered at the image of Bella pale, cold and dead. She seemed like such a nice girl. I couldn't shake the thought that if she had moved here two years ago, we would've been good friends.

Esme and I dropped off all our items at Ms. Harper's house. She was throwing a garden party tomorrow, and we were helping out. Esme noticed my need to go home immediately. Something was off with the visions that concerned the Chief's daughter. I felt that I was going to see her again. I also felt that she was going to be a part of my life.

How large of part of my life, though, was still unknown. The only thing that bothered me was that Bella was not the one that had triggered the visions. I didn't see humans clearly at all. It was someone out there… someone of _my kind_ had triggered the vision. That meant another vampire, one that didn't live on our diet.

Jasper greeted me in the garage with an embrace, and he took my hand as we walked into the house. Once Esme and I had entered, in a mere split second, Edward was in front of me.

Then, he started _sniffing_ me. I cocked an eyebrow in his direction. I'd been surrounded by flowers and people all day today, but surely those scents shouldn't bother him.

"What is that smell all around you?" Edward asked. The moment the first word left his mouth, a vision was triggered.

I quickly blocked my thoughts. This is one vision that he could not yet see. He wasn't ready.

"I was at the flower shop." I shrugged, like it was no big deal.

"What was that vision? I didn't catch anything but a pair of brown eyes." He continued to try and pick up Bella's scent.

"Nothing of importance… Will you stop _sniffing_ me?!"

"That smell on you is _not_ from the flower shop," Edward said, trying to get me to slip so that my thoughts would betray me. "Who were you with today?"

"Esme?" Edward looked in her direction.

Esme looked at me, and I minutely shook my head. "I don't know what to tell you, son." She shrugged and headed towards Carlisle's study. "It was the same people that I usually work with."

"Alice, what aren't you telling me?" Edward asked, annoyance clear in his voice. His jaw and fists clenched as he continued to try and pick my mind.

"There's nothing else to tell you, Edward," I said, pulling Jasper's hand. "Let's go hunt, Jasper."

I could see the flash of anger in Edward's face. He knew I was hiding something.

I had to hide the truth of what I'd seen.

Bella Swan was going to change his and our lives, _forever._

_**~Bella**_

I was packed and ready to head to Seattle to take a flight to New Hampshire. After spending the last four weeks with Charlie, I felt like I needed to get away from this infernal rain. It was summer, and it was pouring out.

Despite the rain, I also felt that my father needed me. The whole length of my stay, I'd cleaned the entire house. I was sure there were dust bunnies older than I under the couch.

Don't get me started on the state of the kitchen. I'd had to purchase a new non-stick frying pan and pot. I'd had him watch me cook on more than one occasion. He had to learn to at least try to make something decent to eat. His frequent trips to the diner or pizza joint were hardly healthy.

I made a promise to myself that I would call and visit more often, even if it was just to make sure he had eaten properly.

I was catching a red-eye flight, so I decided to get some sleep now before the four-hour drive to Seattle. Charlie had offered to drive, but I reminded him that I had a rental and had to drop it off anyway. When it was time to go, it was still raining. It was a good thing that I'd decided to leave early to account for my slower driving in the rain.

After saying my goodbyes and promising to come for Thanksgiving to cook Charlie a turkey, I left for the airport. The rain was still pouring, but it seemed to be slowing down. The roads were slick with rain, and I was worried about hydroplaning.

After a couple of hours, the rain seemed to increase. I slowed down even further, much to the dismay of the driver behind me. After a few minutes of the driver tailgating behind me, he passed me up. I looked over and recognized the silver Volvo that Esme had been driving the other day. I smiled, as I hoped to get to see that little pixie Alice again, if only to ask her a few questions.

If my memory served me right, there were in fact a multitude of questions I had for Alice and Esme.

**~Edward**

It had been a horrific week, to say the least. Alice and Jasper were acting quite strangely around me. They were constantly asking where I was going.

Alice refused to show me any visions that concerned those expressive brown eyes that I had seen in her previous vision for a mere nanosecond.

I thought about it, and it was strange that Alice would even see a human in her visions. I shook the thoughts from my head. As desperate as I was to find where Alice had come into contact with the scent that had permeated her clothing, I knew that it would not be a good idea.

_Never_ had I smelled anything so sweet. Alice had tried to play it off as nothing but flowers from the shop and the humans she'd helped Esme with. I was positive that she'd been lying to me. That was something that had never had occurred in our relationship. Alice and I had a special bond, and we told each other everything. So, her hiding and lying now made me suspicious of what my future held.

I had to forget and not dwell on this.

I insisted on driving myself to the airport in Seattle. I didn't like goodbyes with my family. Esme always looked so upset when I decided to venture out on my own. It had been quite some time since I'd left my family behind – over seventy years.

I assured my family back home in Forks that they could come and visit me anytime. Alice and Jasper were driving my car over in a week. I was looking forward to Dartmouth. It was going to be my first time attending this school. I'd done all the other schools too many times. I needed a little change.

I boarded my flight from Seattle, WA to Lebanon, NH for the red-eye flight. Alice assured me that when I landed, it would be a nice cloudy day and the sun wouldn't expose me. I sat in my first-class seat, ignoring the prattling of two flight attendants that were fighting over who would come and talk to me first. I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep, hoping this human gesture would prevent the women from bothering me.

There were only two other people in first class. They were a couple in their late forties, both visiting New Hampshire to visit their grandson. They were sitting on the opposite side of where I was sitting, next to the window seat.

"Right this way, miss, this is your seat. We have very few people in first class today, and you could sit anywhere you'd like once we are in flight."

"Thank you. This is just fine." A woman with dark hair passed my seat, and I was hit with a scent so sweet that it hit me like a wrecking ball.

The woman sat in the middle seat of the middle row, less than ten feet away from me. I glared at the woman as she stretched her arms over her head, exposing a sliver of her flat abdomen before taking her seat and buckling her seatbelt.

I knew this scent. I had smelled it before… _on_ _Alice_.

_Damn it, she should've warned me._

I swallowed the venom that had begun to pool in my mouth. I was fighting the dry, burning ache in my throat. She turned to look at me and seemed taken aback. I scared her. Her big brown eyes reflected my face, and I saw the three monsters that were fighting to dominate me.

The monster of curiosity, as this was the first mind that I'd come across that I couldn't read.

The monster of lust, as my eyes raked her creamy pale skin and the blush that colored her cheeks.

The monster of desire, that desired the sweetest blood I'd ever come across in my over eighty years of my existence as a vampire.

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**AN: Please review.**


	2. Resistance is Futile

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Two – Resistance is Futile**

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~Edward

I continued to stare at the demon that sat less than ten feet away from me. She was a demon that had been sent here to torment me from my own personal hell.

She was a temptress, not only in her quiet mind or body, but in blood. Never had I ever come across anyone that brought out the monster I was as she did.

The woman shook her head and used her long dark hair to provide some cover from my penetrating gaze. The movement caused me to catch her scent, even through the filtered air of the cabin. I sensed the movement of a passenger nearby.

There were less than four people in this cabin. I calculated how long it would take me to quench my thirst on the divine blood of this creature. I calculated that I would have less than twenty seconds before someone saw what I was doing to her. I wanted every single drop, and twenty seconds wasn't long enough to drain the precious crimson liquid from her small body.

No, twenty seconds was not enough. I could kill the two flight attendants and passengers in this section easily. Their deaths would be quick and painless, a simple twist of their necks, six lives extinguished in less than fifteen seconds.

Then I would have the elixir within the demon's body. I could savor each pull of her blood in my mouth slowly. I was certain that I would never taste another like hers.

An overhead voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to take flight. Please be sure your carry-on bags are secure and your seatbelt is buckled. Once in flight do not remove your seat belt until the indicator lights overhead are off. This is flight number ninety-six non-stop to Lebanon, New Hampshire."

Damn it. I'd only had one chance to leave, but now it was gone.

I heard the door somewhere behind me close with a hiss. I was trapped. Or, more to the monster's liking, she was trapped.

The sinfully-scented woman was breathing slowly and started to exhale deeply. Her scent was even more overpowering.

I realized then that I could stop breathing, since I didn't have to breathe. I held my breath, feeling the burning ache in my throat. This flight was about six hours long, it would be uncomfortable.

The alternative was for me to kill the beautiful creature before my eyes, and I would have to kill everyone else on this flight to cover what I'd done. I idly wondered how full this red-eye flight was. I closed my eyes to listen to the tones of voices around me. I heard at least one hundred passengers. It would be a massacre.

Could I really justify destroying all the lives of everyone on this plane just to taste her blood?

The monster that craved her blood within me voted with a resounding yes.

It would be easy. I could just wait to see if she went to the bathroom. Follow her, enter the room quickly, cover her mouth, close the door and bite down on her slender neck and let the blood flow down to soothe my thirst. After I'd had my fill of her sweet blood, I could easily take the plane down. There would be no survivors.

A face filled my thoughts as I pictured the look of disappointment on my father's face. Carlisle would be disappointed, but would not turn me away. Esme would forgive me, she loved me very much.

It was more than I would deserve.

The plane started to ascend, and the woman of my desires was exhaling deeply. She grasped her armrests with her hands so hard that her knuckles turned white due to the strain put on them.

The pitiful creature before me must have feared flying. I held back a laugh. Of all the things to be frightened of, she was afraid of flying.

I continued to look at the woman before me with outright frustration. Here I had been glaring at this woman since she'd taken her seat, and I could not get into her mind. Surely she had noticed me earlier. Did she not fear me? Did I scare her? Did she even notice me?

The plane leveled out with slight turbulence. The woman whimpered, her eyes closed tight.

For some reason I wanted to comfort her. I wasn't sure if it was just her demure, soft and slight frame. The delicate skin that looked invitingly smooth. The fluttering of her lashes tapping just above the apple of her cheeks. The top bow of her plump lips quivering with fear. It was beyond ridiculous the urge I felt to reassure her that it would be alright.

I, of all creatures, wanted to comfort the one creature that would make my abstinence from human blood for seventy years be in vain.

The woman let out a sigh of relief as the plane leveled out and finally unclenched her slender fingers from the armrests. She stretched out her fingers and took several deep breaths.

As if she felt my eyes touching and scorching her skin with my fiery gaze, she turned and looked at me. Her eyes narrowed, and she lifted an eyebrow.

"May I help you?" she asked through gritted teeth. This little inkling of anger surprised me. She didn't seem the type to be rude, but then again, I wasn't exactly being friendly.

That was the understatement of the year.

I took a breath from my mouth, and I tasted her scent on my tongue. I bit back a growl and prepared myself to talk, coming up with a lame excuse.

"No. I just noticed you're wearing a Dartmouth t-shirt." I stopped breathing through my mouth again, just in case.

"And?" she urged. Again, her anger toward my blatant staring was obviously justified.

Damn it! Why did she have to ask another question?

I inhaled again through my mouth, feeling the thirst start to overpower me. I clenched my fists and braced my body from pouncing and taking what it wanted from this girl.

"And nothing… I just noticed. That's all." I tore my eyes away from her questioning gaze and closed my own. Even without seeing her face, it did nothing to dispel the need to watch her, hear her, smell her and taste her.

"Whatever," she mumbled quietly. I could hear her shifting in her seat, and I wanted to know so badly what she was doing and thinking.

I calculated that a half of an hour had already passed since she'd entered my wretched life. It wasn't getting any better – it was as if seconds were agonizing! Despite the fact that I'd stopped breathing, it was doing nothing for my other urges.

Why couldn't I hear her?

I could hear a flight attendant come into the aisle and stop by the woman. "Ms. Swan, there is an emergency phone call for you."

Finally, I had a name to the blood and body that called to me. Swan... was she from Forks? No, it wasn't possible. I would have come across her if she had lived there.

"There are only two people that know I'm on this flight and they're my parents. So, which one is it?" she questioned the flight attendant.

"She said her name is Alice and that it was an emergency."

Had she just said Alice? It couldn't be my sister. Why would she be calling this insignificant human?

Ah, the scent. She was the tantalizing scent that had lingered on Alice and Esme when they'd returned from running errands last week. Now it all made sense. Was this human what Alice had kept away from me? That was logical of her. If she had told me that the scent had belonged to someone from town, I would have searched high and low for it.

Hell, I would travel the world and depths of the deepest oceans to find her. I would have lured her away from her home, and there would be nothing stopping me from quenching my thirst. I would've succumbed to the obvious traits of most of my kind. I would have been the monster I craved to no longer be.

Ms. Swan took the phone from the flight attendant. I listened to the conversation.

"Alice?" she said.

"Are you heading to New Hampshire?" I recognized her voice instantly.

"Yes. I'm on the way to school."

"I thought so," Alice sighed.

"Why are you calling me here?" Bella asked. The look on her face showed confusion.

"Have you met my brother? He's on the same flight," Alice asked.

"No, I haven't met your brother. Is he supposed to be in first class?"

"He's in first class, Bella."

"Describe him to me," Bella said.

"His hair color is bronze or coppery and all over the place. His eyes are dark, and when he left, he still had some bruising under his eyes."

After a few moments, she turned to look at me.

"Bronze hair, dark eyes, pale skin and dark circles under his eyes." She turned away from me and started to whisper.

"No, I haven't met him, but apparently he thinks it's normal to look at me like a piece of meat." She was talking to my sister, and she thought I was going to eat her. I bit back a laugh.

I could plainly hear Alice's tinkling laughter, no doubt finding Bella's statement funny.

"Don't worry about him, Bella. He won't bite. Can you give him the phone?" There was a minute pause before Alice continued. "Please."

"Fine, Alice. I'll give him the phone." She turned back to face me and held out the phone. "Your sister wants you." I was not going to go and get that close to her.

"Toss it," I snapped. She rolled her eyes and tossed the cordless phone. It barely made it to the seat beside me. She folded her arms in front of her and glared at me. It was obvious she wanted some kind of explanation.

I wasn't about to give her one. What was I supposed to say? _Sorry for looking like I want to eat you. It's in my nature._

I took the phone from the seat. "Alice. You should've warned me." I spoke in a low whisper so that no one would be able to hear me.

Ms. Swan continued to stare at me, and I returned to just staring in front of me.

"I didn't know you were going to be the one that killed her."

"What did you see, Alice?" I questioned icily, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"When I met her, I saw her dead, cold and pale. I also saw a newscast of a plane crash in Chicago killing one hundred eight passengers and crew members. I also saw her with red eyes. Everything was unclear. I had no idea that you would be the cause. Don't you dare touch her, Edward!"

"Her blood sings to me, Alice. Resistance is futile. I can't control my thoughts, my need to..." I paused, unable to say the words. "There is something strange about this human. I can't read her. I look at her, and I can't hear one thought from her head."

"You have to resist. Do you think you will be able to live with yourself after killing all those people, just because of your own selfish need?"

"I know."

"Talk to her. Get to know her. That might help you fight your urge to take her. Her name is Isabella Swan, but she prefers Bella. Her father lives in Forks. He's the Chief of Police. She was a straight A student in high school. She received a full scholarship to Dartmouth. She hasn't even had a serious relationship before."

"Like this is going to help," I said, completely frustrated because of the ache in my throat.

"It should. The visions I'm seeing have become more unfocused. Now, stop scaring her and stop looking at her like you're going to eat her." Alice chuckled. "Give her back the phone."

I returned my gaze to Ms. Swan and offered her the phone. She got up from her seat and walked over. I held my breath, looked up at her, and she just glared. It wasn't fear in her eyes, just confusion and anger. She returned to her seat without a word.

"Bella, don't mind my brother. He's really shy. It's not easy for him to make friends."

"Alice, okay… I guess I understand."

"Why don't you try talking to him? Just get up from your seat, sit with him and try talking to him."

"That doesn't sound like a good idea. I don't like attention," Bella whispered in the phone, looking away from me.

"It can't be that bad, can it?"

"Yeah, have you ever heard of 'if looks can kill?'" Bella said, giving me a glare but quickly looking away when she realized I was still looking at her.

"Just give him a chance. He doesn't know anyone over there, and neither do you. Can I have your email address?"

"I will try, and yes. It's bellaswan at dtm dot com. Bye." She pressed a button on the cordless phone after Alice had said her goodbye. She looked around for the flight attendant. She sighed and pressed the button on her seat. A flight attendant named Marjorie came from behind a curtain, smiling at her and taking the phone.

"Is everything alright, Miss?" Marjorie asked Bella. I noticed that Bella was wiping at her cheeks. Was she crying? I watched as a couple of tears fell down the pale expanse of her cheek.

Had I done that? I'd scared her enough to make her cry. Bella wiped her cheek and just nodded to Marjorie.

I didn't think I had ever made a woman cry, not even in my human days. The idea that I had made this woman cry did not sit well with me. I'd been brought up to be a gentleman and to treat women with respect.

The urge to comfort her took over me. I unbuckled my seatbelt, took another breath through my mouth and took the seat beside her. I just hoped that the monster of curiosity was strong enough to keep her alive. I knew now that there was no resisting this woman.

"Are you alright, Ms. Swan?" I asked, taking another breath through my mouth.

"Yes."

"Then why are you crying?" A sudden urge to wipe away her tears overwhelmed me.

Isabella wiped her cheeks. "I'm not crying." She was stubborn and a bad liar.

"Liar." She looked at me and glared.

"What's it to you, anyway?! I don't even know you!" she huffed and folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm not sure, but my sister said that I scared you." I shrugged.

"I can't believe you're related to Alice and Esme," she stated matter-of-factly. She started to shift in her seat.

"You don't even know me," I stated in a firm voice. Isabella rolled her eyes.

"Well, so far, I don't like what I know. Excuse me, I'm going to change." Isabella stood up from her seat and passed me. She went into the aisle to reach up to the compartment above me. Stretching up slightly, her midriff was revealed eye-level. I drew in another breath and clenched my hands. She was so close that I felt the heat that emanated from her body.

Bella looked down at me, and when she saw that I was looking at her, she blushed, a beautiful shade of crimson coloring her cheeks. She turned and went down the aisle to the bathroom. I fought the temptation to follow her and take her. The image of the both of us enclosed in that tiny compartment started to play in my mind.

Upon entering the small room, I'd grab her and pull her to my chest, fool her into thinking this was about lust. I'd kiss her full lips and gently lay a trail of kisses along her jawline, to her ear and down her neck. I'd even dare to dart my tongue out to taste her smooth, luminous skin. She would gasp for breath, her pulse quickening under her skin and my cold lips. I'd kiss along her collarbone and bite down just above her pulse point. She would gasp in surprise. They all did. I'd put one hand over her mouth roughly, enjoying the warmth and sweetness of her blood as it trickled down my dry, cracked throat. I'd drink from her until she was dry, and I'd look into her eyes. The depth once there would have been gone and her quiet mind forever silenced.

The images started to change.

Instead of biting her, I'd continue my exploration of her skin with my lips and tongue. She'd moan my name, sending vibrations throughout my body. The sound would elicit a groan from my own lips. I would lap at her skin with the tip of my tongue. It would be exquisite as I continued my exploration.

I heard her coming toward me, which snapped me out of my dangerous thoughts.

"You're still here, I see," Isabella stated. Once again she lifted her black carry on to the overhead compartment, exposing her belly button.

I tried to tear my eyes away, but not only had she exposed her midriff, now she was not wearing the low cut jeans she'd been wearing earlier. Instead, she was in a pair of fitted dark blue shorts that exposed her creamy legs. I took another breath and looked down, wishing now that I had moved.

This newfound craving was unnerving. Never had I ever looked upon another with such an overwhelming sense of longing.

"I'm sorry, did you want me to leave?" I asked, trying to concentrate on my hands instead of her as she took her seat. She pulled up her legs and crossed them on the seat. She pulled out a laptop and a set of ear buds.

"I don't care either way. It's just that I can't sleep when I fly, so you won't be able to, since I need the light overhead," she said in a frustrated tone.

"I don't plan on sleeping, either."

Bella glared at me for a moment and then shook her head. She powered her laptop and ignored me.

For several minutes she just played with documents on her computer, not really doing anything and just skimming. Occasionally, she'd correct her grammar or add a few sentences here and there.

She seemed to be working on a report of some kind based on the book "Wuthering Heights."

The urge to know what she was thinking was so powerful. I wanted to know more about her so that I could decipher her expressions and her thoughts.

I cleared my throat, hoping to catch her attention, since she was actively ignoring me.

"Why don't we just start over? My name is Edward Cullen." I extended my hand in the customary fashion of a human introducing himself.

She looked at my hand and then into my eyes. Her rich, dark brown eyes looked slightly confused but excited at the same time.

"Isabella Swan, but you can call me Bella." Bella took my hand, and then there was a sudden feeling of electricity and heat that emanated from our intertwined hands that swept up my arm and radiated throughout my body.

Bella pulled her hand away quickly, likely disgusted by the coldness of my hand. I looked at her face and realized that she had a look of smugness rather than one of revulsion.

Why would she look smug after shaking my hand? It was like she had some kind of secret.

"Sorry, my hands are little cold," I said as casual a tone as I could.

"No worries, your sister and your mother's hands were just as cold and strong. It must run in the family." She arched an eyebrow, like she was trying to get me to say something.

I couldn't even garner a guess of what was running through her mind. The idea of such a look rendered me speechless and left me thoroughly frustrated.

What was she thinking?

"Um... yes, I guess it does. You still haven't answered my first question. Why were you crying?" I smiled at her, still wondering why she had that look on her face.

The smug look left, replaced with a glare. She looked away from me and pouted a little.

"It's silly, really. I guess I couldn't understand how you could hate me so quickly when you don't know anything about me." She shrugged her shoulders, still avoiding my eyes.

"I don't hate you and you're right, I shouldn't have glared that way at you. It's just that I…" I couldn't come up with anything logical to use as an excuse.

"I smelled too good." Bella smiled that smile that said "I know something."

I couldn't even come back with anything. How could she know what I was thinking?

I just stared at her with a questioning expression.

"Can I tell you a story, Edward, before we get to know each other a little more?" The innocence and blatant curiosity in her eyes enhanced her youthful appearance.

"Yes," I said cautiously. I wondered where she was taking this conversation. Surely it was not where very few had guessed.

"About a year and half ago, I went to visit my father during my spring break. With the loss of two of his friends, I felt I owed him some sense of peace and came to visit him instead. My father dragged me along to fish one time with his best friend. His friend had his son accompany us. I made quick friends with his son, a boy named Jacob Black.

"He was a little younger than me, but it was nice to talk to someone other than my father. So, Jacob and I later took a walk on the beach. He started to tell me stories and legends of his people, the Quileutes. His father is an elder."

I stiffened in my seat as she continued. "Jacob didn't really believe the stories. I think he was just trying to impress me. He told me a legend about werewolves and their natural enemies, the cold ones or 'vampires.'" She paused, possibly hoping to elicit some type of reaction from me. I kept my composure externally… but in the inside I was enraged.

They'd broken the treaty, and now she was a liability to my family. He'd also risked this fragile little human's life with the knowledge of our existence.

Bella sensed that I was not going to say anything and continued. "He said that over six decades ago, a coven of cold ones settled in the area, but they were different. They didn't drink from humans, only animals. So, a treaty was made that they would not warn the pale faces of the cold ones, if the vampire coven refrained from hunting humans and stayed off the wolves' land. At that time, of course, I thought nothing of this legend, and neither did Jacob. We laughed it off as just a good story.

"That all changed though when I came back to visit for Thanksgiving that same year. Jacob was upset that I hadn't wanted to move to Forks when I'd had the chance. His anger got the best of him, and he phased in front of me. He didn't hurt me but he left immediately, thinking that he had scared me." She stopped and fidgeted with her hands, the inner working of her silent mind stirring up memories.

"Later, he came back and apologized for scaring me and for getting angry. He told me then that the same family of vampires form the legend had moved back to the area and that all his friends had started turning into werewolves. We remained friends, but only communicated through letters and phone calls." She shrugged her shoulders, a sense of finality in her tone.

"That's a good story, but what does that have to do with me?" I asked, silently hoping she didn't think I was a vampire.

"Jacob told me the last name of the coven. The Cullen Family." She smiled at that point and turned her questioning gaze upon me.

"What gave me away?" I asked stiffly.

"It wasn't you, it was Esme and Alice. After I met them, I did some research on vampires. A lot of it didn't fit, just the cold pale skin, the bruises under your eyes and being inhumanly beautiful. I asked my father about your family. He told me each of your names and about your father being a doctor and that they'd adopted you and your siblings. Esme and Alice seemed really nice during our brief encounter, and so I decided that I didn't care."

"You don't care." I swallowed the venom that had pooled in my mouth and took a deep breath. The burn was excruciating.

"No, I figured that as long as you don't attack humans, I don't care. Though, something seems to be off about you. Ever since I came onto this plane, you've been looking at me like you want to attack, but there are others here. What makes me so different?" Her questioning gaze had a touch of sadness behind it.

"You are different in more than one way. Your blood, your scent is much stronger than anything I've ever come across in my entire existence." I turned away from her eyes, a feeling of shame washing over me.

"Oh. What's the other reason?" she asked.

"I can read minds, but I can't read your thoughts. I don't know why. That is a first for me also," I indicated, trying to decipher her expression. She stayed quiet for several moments.

"I'm a freak." She laughed with no humor behind the words.

"You're talking to a mind-reading vampire, and you think _you're_ the freak."

"I must be. I am danger magnet, so clumsy that I'm disabled, I seem to attract legends left and right, and now my head is not working right. So, yes, I'm a freak."

"Hardly, but I admit, 'danger magnet' seems to be right. So, are werewolves and vampires the only legends you've encountered?" I chuckled.

"No, that's what I mean. I had a very strange encounter before leaving home in Florida with a gypsy. She just came up to me and said that I was powerful and that I would one day restore the balance." She shook her head in disbelief. "I shook it off. It was all too Star Wars like." She laughed a little more. Her laugh was beautiful and infectious.

"Well, I've never met a witch or gypsy, so… maybe you're right. You're a freak." I winked and chuckled, trying to keep the conversation light. It was so easy to speak freely with this creature.

"Tell me about yourself, Edward. I'm curious."

"Curious about what?"

"How old are you?"

"I just turned nineteen," I said quickly – a carefully delivered line.

"How long have you been playing a teenager?"

"A while," I answered with a small smile. Her eyes narrowed and she shrugged her shoulders, giving up.

"So, what's up with Alice? When I met her, she kind of went into a trance."

"Alice can sometimes see the future. She must have had a vision when you two met."

She didn't even flinch or react in any way to this new information.

"That must've been the reason she called me on the plane. She wanted to warn me about you?" She stated it more like a question. She waited for my confirmation.

"Yes."

"Did she see you attacking me?"

"Something like that."

"Do you want me to sit somewhere else? I don't want to make it harder for you."

She was trying to make me more comfortable. She was truly a strange woman.

"No. I think it will be fine." More than fine. I felt connected to this mysterious woman, and she presented me with an enigma.

"Good. Do you want to listen to some music?" She held out an ear bud for me. I took it from her hand, lightly brushing her skin. The same electric feel and warmth shot through my body. I looked at her, wondering if she felt the same thing. She stayed quiet as she slowly pulled her hand away.

I was curious about what type of music she listened to. She smiled and plugged the jack into her laptop.

Clair de Lune played in my ear. "Clair de Lune?" I asked as Bella smiled at me.

She blushed slightly before answering. "I like classical music, but I know only my favorites. My mother used to play the piano, not very well, but it was something I enjoyed watching her do," Bella explained with sadness in her voice. She missed her mother.

We decided to play a game of twenty questions, in an effort to get to know each other. I was thrilled with idea of deciphering the inner working of her mind.

"Favorite book?" I asked first taking the lead in the questioning.

"Mostly classics Jane Austen, Romeo and Juliet and Weathering Heights are among some of my favorites," Bella answered while naming them using her tiny fingers.

"Does anyone else in your family have gifts?" She asked; curiosity deep in those chocolate pools of hers. I couldn't tear my eyes off of them. I noticed when our eyes met, the burning in my throat and the venom, lessened.

"Jasper, Alice's husband has a gift. It's very subtle. He can manipulate the feelings of the people around him. He also feels the emotions of those around him."

"Sort of like an _empathic_?" Bella's brows furrowed adorably in question and concentration.

"Yes, something along those lines," I answered, smiling at her. She looked stunned for a moment, and then blushed and looked away.

We continued our little game way past twenty questions, for at least a few hours. Already, I was completely captivated by her. I thought over time that my curiosity would lessen, but my over-developed mind found her intriguing. Every time I thought I had her pegged, she completely caught me off guard.

I'd thought all women loved to shop, but Bella had a fierce loathing for it.

We found out that we were mostly compatible with our favorites – music, movies and plays. I had her describe Florida to me, since I had never been there before. She seemed to really love the sun. I briefly wondered what she would look like in the sunlight.

"How are old are –" I didn't complete my question because the plane shook violently. The lights in the cabin went out, leaving us in complete darkness, except for me. Bella gripped my arm with one of her small hands.

"What's going on, Edward?" she asked timidly.

I let my mind wander to the cockpit. I read the thoughts of the co-pilot. I noticed that all the instrument panels were dark.

_Damn, I'm not the reason the plane was going to crash._

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_**AN: Thanks to lisa89, my wonderful beta. Please review.**_


	3. Another

**AN: Beta'd by lisa89, thanks again.**

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**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Three – Another**

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I listened in on the conversations between the pilot and co-pilot. A freak storm had appeared without a warning, shorting out their electrical systems.

For some reason, their backup system was not starting up. They were flying blind and had no idea if they were going deeper into the storm or away.

"Bella, it's alright. I'm going to go take a look at their electrical backup system to see what the problem is. I'll be right back."

I looked at her, and even in the dark I could tell that she was terrified. I placed my hand on her cheek. "I'll be right back. Put your seatbelt back on." I saw her nod and heard the sound of the belt click.

"Hurry back," she whispered, her hands clenched together, a light tremble in her body.

"I will," I promised, caressing her cheek a moment longer.

I got up from my seat and quickly made it to a floor panel in economy class. I went into a cave-like room filled with electrical equipment. My eyes quickly adjusted, and I found the panel that controlled the backup system. I mentally thanked myself for taking an interest in flying and studying all the specs and mechanics of this type of plane, along with many others.

_Strange… it's supposed to be a stand-alone unit. It should not have been affected by the storm. It was not running because someone turned it off. _

I thought to myself, why would someone do that? I turned on the system, and it started booting up quickly. I listened in to everyone sitting in first class, to keep a watchful eye on Bella. Then I heard a mind that hadn't been there before.

_Fool. He fell for it. Now she's mine. _A familiar tone of thoughts stood out from the rest of the humans.

_Damn it_! I thought to myself.

Another vampire was here and worst of all… was James! With Bella's scent he'd planned this, why?

I made sure that the lights would stay off when the rest of the system kicked in. I flew out of the room, ignoring the screams erupting around me. I made it to first class, and Bella was not in her seat.

I cursed under my breath for being so damn blind. I should have detected his presence earlier. Bella's scent had overpowered his, putting us in this situation. I followed her scent, made sweeter as it mingled with another of my kind. Not like me, but like most of my kind, a human-blood drinker. He was a merciless hunter that enjoyed playing games. Bella was his enticing prey or was she something else. Bait?

I followed the scent along the aisle. I stepped out into another section of the plane, where people were talking amongst themselves. They were scared.

_Where did he come from? _

_Was that man trying to hurt the poor girl?_

_Where was he taking her?_

_She looked so scared!_

I looked through the thoughts, Bella's image coming into my mind. She had tears rolling down her cheeks but wasn't screaming. James's arm was clutched across her shoulders and around her delicate neck as he dragged her off without resistance.

I followed the scent that led into the lower level of the plane. The cargo area was filled with various sizes of suitcases and boxes. I made my way around slowly, not wanting to give away my position. I listened for the mind of the vampire I knew had taken Bella.

"Why me?"

I could hear her timid whisper deeper within the cargo area.

"I know Edward and his family. You see, within his precious little family is the one and only victim that has ever escaped me. I was surprised that they didn't figure out that I knew her," he gloated, his body hovering over Bella's.

"I couldn't take my eyes off her while I played baseball with his family that night. They have Alice, so it's only fair that I get to have you. Alice and Edward seem to be quite fond of you. She even watched over you, along with her mate, while you were at home.

"I don't understand how creatures like me can become so fond of a human. Just like the old one that cared so deeply for Alice. He took her from the mental institution. Once he freed her, he made her safe, and I couldn't touch her. I wonder now if Edward would've made you safe."

I climbed onto a box overhead and jumped off onto James. I quickly flung him into a large pile of boxes and suitcases. I turned to face Bella to give her a warning.

"Run! Bella, run!" I roared. I saw her get up and try to make her way through the mazes of boxes. I was right behind her until I saw in James's mind that he was about to launch himself towards me. I dodged his advance, struck him across his chest, and he flew into another pile of luggage. James got up and, instead of coming after me, he looked at Bella, who was running around a corner of towering boxes.

James grabbed a large box and threw it towards Bella. I managed to destroy the box before it reached her. But in my haste to save her, he sent another box hurling toward her. I didn't have time to stop the box.

The box whirled out of my reach toward a stack of boxes on top, and I watched them topple over on Bella. Her scream pierced the darkness and my dead heart. I growled and threw myself on James.

He pinned me against the exterior wall of the plane. "You're faster than the rest of your family, Edward, but not the strongest," James said and laughed.

"I'm strong enough to kill you." I took both of my fists and hit him square in his chest. He flew against the cargo door, causing it to buckle. In mere seconds, the door couldn't take the pressure. It tore off its track and hinge, sending boxes, luggage and a very aggravated James out the gaping hole.

James managed to smirk before he was sucked out. I knew then that I'd see him again.

I struggled against the loss of pressure to get to Bella. I found another door that closed and re-pressurized the section. I manually closed it, and the area started to settle.

I quickly ran to where I'd last seen Bella and flung box after box. There was no way a human as small and fragile as Bella would have survived this much weight. I frantically looked for her body. There was nothing.

"Under here, Edward. Please help!" I heard Bella's muffled cry. "I'm under the red canoe." I scanned the area and spotted a small red canoe upside down, just to my right. I took off the boxes weighing down the canoe. I flipped the canoe over. Bella squirmed out and tried to crawl away from me, holding her wrist.

"Bella, I'm not going to hurt you. Let me make sure you're okay," I said confused, not understanding why she was suddenly afraid of me. I took a breath and then I understood – she was bleeding.

If I'd thought her scent was overwhelming before it was nothing compared to it spilled across her pale flesh. With every ounce of determination and strength I had, I managed to take in a ragged breath to speak.

"Bella, get up now, keep your eyes locked on mine and back away slowly," I spit out through gritted teeth.

My body was rigid and my fists were clenched. I was resisting the beast within me. The only thing that was stopping me was her eyes. The monster that I was, was reflected within them.

Bella nodded, her eyes locked with my own. She slowly lifted herself up, still holding her wrist. She took a step backward as I took a step forward.

Her heart was beating frantically, adrenaline pulsing through her veins. It was dark in the luggage compartment, and it was going to be difficult for her to make her way out without falling. If she did, it would break our eye contact and my resolve to spare her life.

Bella took more tentative steps backwards as I continued to stalk forward. After an agonizing amount of time, she finally reached the hatch that would lead her to the passengers' section of the plane. The whole time she kept her eyes on mine as she climbed a few rungs of the ladder to the upper level. I took another breath through my mouth.

"Get that cleaned up. I'll be up soon." My teeth clenched tightly as I swallowed the venom down my rough, dry throat. Bella nodded and lifted herself out to the upper level.

I closed the hatch behind her and breathed deeply. After several moments I let myself listen to the thoughts of those above me.

_"The backup system is up again, but the lights are still out," _the co-pilot indicated to the pilot.

_"Tell the crew to get out the emergency flashlights and medical kits just in case anyone was injured."_

_"I don't think this had to do with the storm. Some passengers said that they saw a man take a woman through economy class by force just after the lights went out. Marjorie said that two of her passengers in first class are missing, and Megan said that she has one missing from her section."_

_"Economy class has the hatch that leads to the cargo area. Maybe those couple of minutes of decompression and the missing passengers are related. Tell Marjorie to get the Marshall that's on board to help look for the girl without causing a panic."_

_"Are communications still out?" _I saw in the co-pilot's head that the pilot nodded. A phone buzzed nearby. The co-pilot answered.

_"Marjorie, I was about to call you."_

_"The girl that was missing just showed up. She's been injured. Susan is helping her."_

_"Do what you can for her. Find out what happened and where the other missing passengers are. Have the Marshall help you. Also, have the others get the emergency kits and flashlights. There may be others that may have gotten hurt when we lost control for a while."_

_"Is everything alright, Michael? Are we going to have to land?"_

_"Communications are down, and we're still thirty minutes away from an airport that can accommodate us. We're going to try to make it there. They may not be able to hear us, but they should be able to see us."_

I let my mind wander, trying to find the one helping Bella. I "heard" a voice trying to soothe someone that was sobbing quietly.

_"Shh… everything is fine, dear. The bleeding has already stopped. Did that man hurt you? The one sitting with you?"_

_"No! He's the one that saved me. Ugh! The smell of the blood is making me sick."_

****I saw the thoughts of Susan, the one attending to Bella, showing Bella clutching her stomach. I laughed to myself. She got sick at the sight of blood! For one that claimed her clumsiness as a disability, you would think she was used to the sight of her own blood.

Susan finished wrapping Bella's wounded wrist. Bella pointed at the gauze that was covered in blood and clamped her hand over her mouth. Susan understood and took everything and left to get rid the offending blood.

Marjorie, the flight attendant that had spoken with Bella before, came to talk to her, along with a man with dark hair, tan skin, and a grey suit. He introduced himself, and I used his thoughts to listen in on the conversation.

_"Miss, my name is David Cortez. I need to know what happened to you and to the other two passengers that are missing." _Bella nodded as I heard her heart starting to beat faster.

_"My friend that was sitting with me, Edward, had to use the bathroom before the lights went out. A few moments after the lights went out, someone grabbed me, covered my mouth and pulled me from my seat and started to drag me down the aisle. I tried to get away from him. I had no idea who he was. He just kept laughing at my attempts to free myself from his grip. He was so strong." _

Bella visibly shuddered, reliving the memory.

_"A few minutes later, he shoved me down a hole in the floor. I tried to run once he let me go, but he was on me too fast. Next thing I knew, he was hovering over me in the darkest depths of the cargo area. There were boxes and luggage everywhere. Then Edward leapt on top of him from somewhere above. He told me to run as he tried to fight the other man. I tried to run, but it was so dark. I heard them thrash around behind me. Then all of a sudden, luggage and boxes started moving. I managed to get a look of a large box that had shifted enough to cause a high stack of cargo to move. The stack started to buckle, and it was going to come down on me. I braced my for the impact, but a canoe landed upside down on top of me first, and it took the impact." _Bella stopped to take a few deep breaths.

_"What happened after that? _David asked, his eyes struggling to see Bella in the dark.

_"After a minute, I felt like something was causing all the air to leave the room. I couldn't breathe and I even felt myself moving further into the cargo area. Then suddenly the air around me stopped moving, and it was quiet again. I umm… managed to get out from under the canoe and some luggage, and I saw that a door or wall had closed off the back section of the cargo area. I couldn't find my friend or that man. It was too dark. So, I made my way back up here to get help." _

_"Sorry about your friend. Most likely he closed the door manually and didn't make it through before it closed." _

David Cortez tried to touch Bella on her shoulder, but she pulled away, trembling.

_"Did that man manage to hurt you?" _David asked, noticing that Bella looked terrified.

Bella shook her head and whimpered. _"I cut my arm on something in the cargo area."_

The plane lurched suddenly, sending Bella off her seat and onto the floor. David helped her up and buckled her seatbelt. As Bella's hands clutched on her armrests as the plane continued to rock with turbulence.

_"I have to find out what's going on. Keep your seatbelt on."_ David walked off to the cockpit, followed by Susan and Marjorie.

I was about to let my mind drift to the cockpit when I noticed David look back at Bella, tears falling from her eyes. She whispered_, "Edward, come back." _

That was all it took for me to ascend to the upper deck. I moved swiftly through the darkness, unseen by the frightened people in their seats.

I slowed down to a walk and warily approached Bella. She looked frightened, her hands still clutching the armrests. The ache to touch and comfort her was overwhelming. I reached out my hand, and with just my fingertip I touched her cheek, wiping a tear away.

"Edward," she whispered and smiled at me. She placed her hand over my own, holding it there. I sat beside her, our eyes locked and in our own little bubble, as chaos erupted around us. Flight attendants scrambled to get passengers in their seats, while others prayed in whispers.

"What's going to happen, Edward?" she whispered into the darkness. I listened in on the conversations in the cockpit.

"They are going to attempt an emergency landing. The cargo door that snapped off must have damaged something, and they are having trouble controlling the plane." I whispered so that our conversation could not be heard by others.

"We're not going to make it, are we?" Bella mumbled, tears starting to fall from her eyes again.

"You won't. Alice said that she saw a plane crash in Chicago that killed all one hundred eight passengers and crew members."

"The crash isn't going to kill you, is it?" Bella asked quietly.

"No, and I won't let it kill you either," I said, wiping more tears from her soft cheek.

Bella looked at my expression with questioning eyes. "When we get close enough to the ground, we'll jump to safety."

She shook her head. "No. If you put another hole in this plane, you and I will be the cause. I can't live with that, Edward. If this is the way it's supposed to be, who am I to fight it?"

The plane was starting to descend, and the pilots were struggling to control the plane.

I growled. "I am not about to sit here and let you die, Bella. I will take you by force if I have to." She shook her head, and her eyes narrowed with a fierce intensity.

The Marshall, Susan and Marjorie came into the cabin and started to check the passengers. Susan grabbed a radio.

"Please assume crash position, buckle your seatbelt and put your head between your knees. We are attempting an emergency landing at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Once we land, try to make it to the main exit, where we will extend a way for you to get down safely."

The plane suddenly lurched to the right, causing Susan and the Marshall to tumble across the cabin.

I grabbed Bella's hand. She screamed at me to let her go.

"Damn it, Bella, don't be difficult."

She pulled her hand away and put her head between her knees as the plane was making the final descent. I did the only thing I could think of. I wrapped my entire body over Bella's as the plane impacted to the ground.

An empty seat came loose and hit me square between my shoulder blades, which could've killed Bella instantly. She whimpered within my cage-like prison around her body.

I wondered if I was hurting her, holding her so strongly. I didn't let her up as another piece of debris fell over my head. I watched in horror as Susan, Marjorie and the Marshall were being tossed around the cabin. They didn't get to their seats in time.

The plane finally screeched to a halt. I looked around me and didn't see anything else that would hit Bella, and I released her from my prison. She didn't move. Her entire frame was shaking. I ran my hand through her hair, all the while I heard the screams erupting all around me and in my mind.

"Bella, are you alright?" I asked as she picked up her head. Her brown eyes bored into mine and nodded. She stiffened.

"We have to help everybody!" Bella unbuckled her seat belt and jumped up. Her hands went to my chest, sending another jolt of heat through my body as she push me away. I stumbled away from her, not from her strength, but from the shock of her touch.

She went to an older gentleman and checked on him. "He's breathing and conscious. Check on everyone else and see if they've opened the door yet. Hurry, Edward!" she screamed at me.

I wasn't sure how long I stared at her. She was in complete control of her fear and of the situation. Her fierce determination to help everyone could be seen as she gracefully checked on the others.

She was selfless. The adrenaline pumped through her blood, but not from fear. I shook myself free from my thoughts and checked on some of the people in the first-class cabin. For the most part, everybody was still alive.

The Marshall and the two flight attendants were unconscious, and all suffered from broken ribs, bones and concussions. I listened in on the mind of another flight attendant in economy, and she had already opened the door and was helping people get down an inflatable slide to the bottom.

There were no signs of emergency vehicles yet, but I could hear them in the distance.

"Bella, they have the door open. I need to help the Marshall, Susan, Marjorie, and the pilots. Get out now!" Bella nodded as she helped the older man and his wife up and guided them out. The rest of the passengers followed Bella out to safety.

I was lucky that the flight crew I was saving were all unconscious, or else I'd have to do this at human speed. I turned quickly and grabbed the Marshall and jumped from a hole on the side of the plane and placed him gently on the ground near other victims. I ran back to the plane and grabbed Susan and Marjorie and took them to people that were looking after the Marshall. I ran back to the plane and made sure there was no one left in first class.

I ran to the cock pit and ripped the buckled door off, when I realized that both pilots were unconscious. I grabbed on to one of the men and jumped out one of the front windows. I ran back for the other pilot and brought him to some flight attendants as emergency vehicles started to arrive.

I recognized the flight attendant that had opened the door. "Miss, have you seen my friend? She was wearing a white tank top and blue shorts with long dark hair."

"Yes, she was helping those in economy class. I had to help with the injured. I'm sure she made it off the plane." She trembled, wrapping the Marshall's bleeding arm. The scent should have alarmed me, but it didn't. Next to Bella's scent, it was nothing – it paled in comparison.

I nodded and scanned the area. It was total chaos. I scanned the faces of everyone. There was no sign of Bella.

I searched the minds of those all around me. Nothing… I stiffened as the smell of something burning came into my senses. The plane was on fire. The plane was going to blow up. Firefighters were warning everyone to move farther back. I realized then that Bella must still be on the plane.

I ran back to the plane at inhuman speed, making sure to stay out of sight of onlookers. I checked the back cabin and there she was, under a few pieces of debris, unconscious. I threw off all the debris. Without a second thought, I picked her up bridal style and jumped high through a hole on top of the plane.

I brought Bella away from any other distractions as the plane exploded and burst into flames. We barely made to safety on time. I looked at Bella's injuries. No bleeding, just a few scratches.

Bruises were already blossoming all over her body. I placed my hands on her ribs, a few broken. I put my head on her chest – her heart was barely beating. I checked her head and felt a hairline fracture, maybe two.

_Damn it._ I had no idea what to do. Two instincts were raging within me. The one to take my fill of her blood, reminding she was already dying. The other, the human part of me, wanted to save her – by any means necessary.

My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. Alice. "Edward, you have to do it, or she may die!" she screamed in my ear.

"I won't, Alice. I won't condemn her to our way of life!"

"Edward, I keep seeing her as one of us. So, just do it or she may die," Alice gasped, pleading.

"I don't think I can stop, even if I try. Alice, I don't think I can do this."

"At least you can try." I let the phone fall. I pulled Bella onto my lap and held her close. I brushed stray strands of hair from her beautiful face and traced my finger over her lips.

I brought my lips to hers and whispered, "Please forgive me." I pressed my lips to hers, but a jolt of electricity that I'd felt before coursed through my body and hers. Bella gasped for breath, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Bella?" I gasped as my eyes met with hers.

"Edward," Bella whispered, barely audible. Her hand came to rest on my cheek as she smiled. "Ow! What's wrong with me?"

"Where do I start? You have bruises starting to form everywhere, a few broken ribs, cracked skull, and most likely a concussion." I glared at her. "I thought I told you to get off the plane, Bella. You almost gave me a heart attack, and that is not an easy thing to do." I addressed her sternly.

"Sorry. I uhh… was trying to help everybody," Bella mumbled. I shook my head in disbelief. "Wait… did you kiss me?" Bella cocked her head and touched her lips with her hand that she, moved from my cheek.

"I… uhh…" I struggled for words. Her eyes were seeking truths I was not able to come to terms with yet.

"Were you going to bite me because you couldn't resist, or to save me?" Bella asked sheepishly.

"To save you," I mumbled, unable to take my eyes off hers.

"Why would you want to save me, Edward? Why were you willing to let all those people die to save me?" Bella's eyes started to droop, and her breathing was slowing again.

"I… I don't know." I lifted her in my arms and looked away from her penetrating gaze. Bella whimpered and groaned as her body moved.

"Edward, I'm sleepy. Can I go to sleep?" Bella wrapped her arms around my neck, resting her head on my shoulder.

"No, not yet, my Bella. I'll get you the help you need."

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**AN: Please review.**


	4. Hospital

**AN: Beta'd by lisa89, thanks again.**

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**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Four – Hospital**

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I walked over to the nearest ambulance, and a paramedic in his mid twenties headed towards me with a stretcher. "What happened to her?"

"I managed to get her off the plane, but the explosion threw us clear across the runway. She has a few broken ribs, most likely a cracked skull and a concussion." I laid her on the stretcher, Bella's fingers holding on to my shirt.

"How about you?" the paramedic asked. I shook my head, trying to detach Bella's tiny fingers from my shirt. As soon I removed her fingers, she whimpered.

"Don't leave me, Edward. I don't know anyone else here." Bella's eyes opened and looked at me, pleading with her eyes glistening. The paramedic started working on her, checking her vitals and the rest of her body for broken bones.

"I'm not going anywhere." I took her hand in one of my own. "Is anything else broken?" I asked the paramedic.

"Maybe her right ankle, but it might just be sprained. There's bruising on her abdomen. Did something fall on her?" I nodded.

"Miss, does your stomach hurt?" He placed his hand on her abdomen and pressed lightly, and Bella grimaced in pain. "We need to get her to the hospital, she may have internal bleeding."

The Marshall's "voice" was frantically looking for Bella. I called out to him a few times. He made it over to us, his chest wrapped and slightly limping to Bella's side.

"Miss Swan, thank God. When Megan said that you might still be on the plane, I thought we'd lost you. You helped save a lot of people today. Uhh… how did you get me off the plane?" he asked, slightly grimacing from the pain along his ribs.

"Bella and I helped you, the flight attendants, the passengers of first class, and the pilots. I thought Bella had gotten off the plane, but she hadn't. She went to help those in the back, too." I shook my head in disapproval.

"I take it you're the friend that was sitting with her and saved her from the man that was trying to hurt her." The Marshall looked over at me with a questioning glaze.

"Yes. It's my fault the compartment depressurized. A large container was loosened from its restraints during our struggle, causing the door to buckle. After a few moments, the container and her assailant flew out the hole. I managed to make it to the manual override to seal the compartment and closed that door. It took me a while to make sure that Bella was no longer in the area before I came back to my seat." I looked at the Marshall's eyes, my voice dripping with truth.

The Marshall appeared to believe me and chose not to really question me. His only concern now was Bella.

"Good thing you were there to watch her. Do you know why that guy went after her?" the Marshall asked, still slightly confused.

"I don't know, sir," I lied.

Bella watched the entire exchange and just nodded when the Marshall looked at her to confirm my story, she simply nodded. The paramedic informed us that he needed to get Bella to the hospital. This placated the Marshall, for now. Another paramedic joined him and helped put the stretcher in the back of the ambulance.

I watched the pained look on Bella's face as they jostled her slightly. She tried to hide it by biting her lower lip. After a moment she lay there, taking deep breaths through her nose, her eyes clenched shut. Her eyes fluttered open moments after composing herself.

"Edward, where did you go?" Bella looked frantically for me, her hand reaching for my touch. The paramedic said I could ride with her to help keep her calm. The Marshall shook my hand and said that he'd check on us later.

I took Bella's hand in my own. The warmth she usually had was leaving her body. I told the paramedic, and he grabbed a blanket from a small cabinet overhead.

"Where are we?" Bella whispered in a barely audible whisper. Her fingers were trying to keep me from letting her go.

"We're in Chicago, Bella," I answered. She nodded, her eyes drooping. I looked over at the paramedic, who shook his head no. In his mind he worried that if lost consciousness, she might slip into a coma.

"Bella, you need to keep your eyes open. You need to keep talking." I searched my thoughts for something to help keep her alert. "Umm… what are you majoring in at Dartmouth?"

"English Literature," she gasped, her whole body tensed for a moment. "I'm taking night courses because I need to work during the day to pay for my house," Bella answered, still barely audible and in one laborious breath.

"You bought a house. Didn't you want to stay on campus?" I asked, hoping that she'd continue.

"No, I like being alone. I wanted my own place...."

The ambulance bounced a little too hard over a pothole and Bella screamed in pain, the sound cutting through me. The paramedic hovered over her to check her injuries. He pulled up her shirt more, and the bruising on her abdomen was larger more pronounced and. My fingers circled just a little tighter around her delicate fingers.

Fear – it was an emotion I'd overlooked. Being a member of the species that was on the top of the food chain, we had nothing to fear but ourselves. I feared for my family from time to time when we lost track of each other or when we met other vampires that feared us. Fear did dangerous things to creatures like us.

Now I feared for Bella's life. I knew that she was hanging on the precipice of death. It was something all humans had to endure. Bella wasn't just any human to me, and I feared that I would never see her beautiful brown eyes again.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I placed it against my ear, knowing who it was.

"Edward, we're on the way over there. Carlisle and Esme are with me. Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie are behind us. We already called Charlie and Renee, and they are going to be flying there soon. We need to get you out of there. It's going to be sunny tomorrow."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying with Bella."

"You can't. Her parents will be with her soon. She'll be fine, Edward. She won't be waking up for a few days."

"I want to be there when she wakes up."

"You will be, but I suggest we find out where James went. He'll just start looking for her again. Esme and I will stay with her while you look for him."

"Of course, James, he would've survived the fall," I sighed, my last sentence only audible to those of my kind. Bella's eyes were open and watching at me.

"Fine, we'll see you soon." I put the phone back in my pocket and looked at Bella.

"That was Alice. Your parents are on flights on the way here." Bella's eyes glistened with unshed tears. I leaned closer to her ear, not wanting the paramedic to hear. I swallowed the venom pooling at the base of the throat due to the close proximity of her thudding pulse point.

"Alice says you're going to fine." She blinked, and a tear fell from the corner of her eye.

A few minutes later, we made to the hospital, and I exited the ambulance. There was a team of doctors, first-year residents and nurses awaiting the oncoming onslaught of injured victims. Bella's stretcher was the first to touch the ground, and a team came to her side while the paramedic told them all that was necessary.

They rushed her through the hall into an emergency room. Two doctors started assessing her injuries. Suddenly, Bella started to cough up blood. I watched in horror as she gasped for breath.

My mind was barely registering everything that was happening all around me. My eyes were locked on Bella's pale figure. My eyes fell on the dark red blood against the pale skin of her chin and lips.

"One of her lungs is punctured from a broken rib," a doctor said as the other placed a hand to her stomach.

"We need to get her to surgery now!" the other doctor indicated.

A nurse tried to push me out of the room, but the scent of Bella's blood was making me immobile, and I wanted nothing more than to snap her neck. I stalked forward, all the while my mind wanting nothing more than to run away, but the bloodlust was pulling me forward.

"Edward, get out of here NOW!" Bella gasped, noticing my stance and glare. Her scream and eyes brought me out of my blood-induced trance. I took a step back, keeping my eyes locked with hers. Her lips trembled, not from the pain but from fear. She feared me.

As soon as my back came into contact with door, I ran faster than I'd ever ran. Once I reached the exit into the darkening sky outside, I filled my lungs with fresh air.

The flames that engulfed my throat decreased with every cleansed breath I took, but the memory of the scent did nothing to dispel my desire for it.

I knew I could not go back inside the building. Another breath full of blood-tainted air would weaken my resolve to spare Bella's life. I wanted to go back. Not for the blood that called me forth, but because I wanted to know if she was alright.

I chanted to myself, _she'll be fine, she'll be fine_.

Then I heard and felt two things. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and one of the doctors with Bella screamed, "Code Blue."

Her heart had stopped.

I picked up my phone. "What changed? You said she was going to be fine, Alice!"

"When she screamed at you, she lifted her body slightly and caused a rib to further puncture her lung."

"Is she going to live, or do I have to go in there and save her?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"No! You can't go in there. Your desire for her blood will overpower your other desires. You won't save her, you'll kill her and expose yourself! Stay out of there, and don't look into their minds. It will just make things worse."

"Will she live?!" I screamed in my phone.

"Yes, she will." There was a pause. "Yes, she will live, but…"

"But what, Alice? Will she be fine?"

"Her future is still too hazy." Another pause. "They will get her breathing again, they are going to take her into surgery in about thirty seconds." I flipped my phone off and listened in on the doctors treating Bella.

_"She's breathing. Her heart rate and blood pressure are steady. Are they ready for her?" one of the doctors asked. _

"_Yes, they're ready," a nurse said as she hung up a phone on the wall._

_The doctor returned her attention to Bella. "Miss, we're taking you into surgery. You have a punctured lung and bleeding in your abdomen. We need to know your name."_

_Bella's voice was barely a whisper. "Bella Swan. Edward, don't watch, don't listen… too much blood." She knew I was watching. The doctor looked confused and_ _shook his head as Bella slipped out of consciousness. I stopped listening to the doctor's mind then._

Just the thought of watching them operate was causing my muscles to strain as I focused on staying immobile. I focused on not killing her and tried to focus on other than her blood.

Two hours later, I was pacing the waiting room. Frustration was not something I'd had to deal with in a long time. If there was something that I wanted, I got it. If something frustrated me, I did everything in my power to combat the problem – even take a swipe at my unsuspecting, tormenting brother. But now...

Bella had brought on an onslaught of new frustrations. Her blood called to me like no one before her. Her mind was hidden from me. Her thoughts and expressions had left me perplexed more than once. Now I could not care for her because I was a danger to her. I could do nothing because of what I was.

I paced the damn waiting room. Not having any news from her doctors was driving me insane. I continued to pace, unable to stay still. I heard Marshall David Cortez approach me in a wheelchair. His foot was in a cast, having broken it in several places.

"I guess I have you to thank for getting me out of the plane." David extended his hand to me, and I took it for a moment with a firm grip by human standards. I nodded stiffly, watching the red doors that led to the operation room.

"Have they given any news about her condition yet?" David asked me worriedly.

"No, it's been two hours already. I wish my father were here," I expressed. I ran my fingers through my hair again.

David nodded with a slight look of confusion on his facial features.

"He's a doctor. My family is on the way here. They were taking the cross-country route for me with my car and the rest of my things for school before this happened. They should be here in thirty minutes," I lied easily.

Alice would see how I'd answered David's question and would make sure the family knew "the story" before their arrival.

"Miss Swan's father and mother should be here soon. The airline had them both on the first flight available in their areas. I'm sure she'll be fine. She saved a lot of people today. Not many people would go try to help so many," David said thoughtfully before continuing.

"According to one of the flight attendants, Bella noticed that it was only her helping out because the other flight attendants were seriously injured. She started helping those still in their seats. Miss Swan helped those who were injured, and she told Megan that she was just double-checking to make sure no one was left and that she would be right behind her. She must've gotten hurt then." David sighed. "She's a good person and one of a kind."

"I know," I stated. He didn't know how true those words were. She was one of a kind in more ways than one.

Just then, a doctor in green scrubs came through the red doors. He approached the Marshall and me.

"You must be Edward. Miss Swan said something about you and that you'd be waiting. Are her parents here yet?" The doctor extended his hand. "Dr. Michaels." This doctor was thinking about Bella, but not enough to me make out what was wrong.

"No. Her father is coming in from Seattle. I'm not sure about her mother." I extended my own hand and shook his – he was surprised by the coldness of my hand. Most humans were.

"Her mother is coming in from Florida. She won't be here for a few more hours, but her father should be here soon," David answered for me. "I'm Marshall David Cortez, I was on the flight. Can you tell us what has happened to Miss Swan?"

"I won't be able to tell you everything. She's lost a lot of blood but… maybe I should finish discussing this with her parents." The doctor was only thinking about her parents and not what he needed to say. _Damn it._

"Just tell us if she's going to be fine, doctor," I hissed. The doctor's eyes narrowed, but he quickly composed himself.

"She's stable right now, but we'll know in the next twelve hours the extent of her condition," Dr. Michaels indicated. I heard someone approaching us from behind, but the mind was slower than usual. I ignored it.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Marshall Cortez?" I recognized the voice. Chief Charlie Swan was standing just behind us.

"I'm Marshall David Cortez, and you are?" David looked up to Charlie.

"I'm Charlie Swan, my daughter was on the plane. They said I could find you here until the doctor comes out of surgery." Charlie held out his hand to the Marshall. The doctor interrupted their introduction.

"Mr. Swan, I'm Dr. Michaels. I was one of the doctors working on your daughter when she had to be taken into surgery. Please come with me, and we'll discuss your daughter's injuries." The doctor gestured to some chairs on the other side of the waiting room. They both took a seat as the doctor composed his face.

"Your daughter's injuries were quite extensive. She suffered a few skull fractures, a concussion, a punctured lung, four broken ribs, a sprained ankle, and internal bleeding. From the bruising, we can see that something quite heavy must've landed on her and caused her internal injuries. We had to remove her gall bladder, her liver sustained some injury but we were able to save it, but her uterus and her ovaries hemorrhaged. We managed to salvage her uterus and one of her ovaries. There is going to be a lot of scar tissue. Sir –"

"Are you trying to tell me my daughter will not be able to have kids, Dr.?" Bella's father asked quietly.

"The chances are not good, less than one percent. Since she is so young, we chose to salvage what we can. Maybe later she can try other types of procedures. Though even then, it's likely she'd lose the child." The doctor sighed.

"I'm sorry. She'll be in the recovery room in an hour, and you'll be able to see her then. We have to wait to see the extent of her head injuries tomorrow morning. I'm sure she'll be fine, she was coherent when we took her into surgery." Charlie nodded.

The doctor left and went back through the red doors. Charlie sighed and put his face in his hands. Sadness was overwhelming him.

Pictures slowly passed through his head of Bella in an arm cast, Bella smiling sweetly, holding up her blue cast. I noticed that Charlie's mind was different from other, a little quieter and slower. Mostly I could see pictures and emotions, but not single thoughts. I snapped out of my revere when the Marshall approached Charlie.

"Mr. Swan, the doctor didn't tell me, is Bella going to be fine?" he asked nervously.

"He said we'll know for sure in the morning. Were you with her when the plane crashed?"

"No, sir, I knew something was wrong and I went to check, but the plane hit before I could get back to my seat. She had a friend there that helped her and some of the injured. Edward Cullen." David motioned with his head for me to join him. I took a deep breath and walked over to Charlie and David.

"Cullen? You're one of Carlisle's boys?" Charlie looked at me, confused.

"Yes, sir, I'm also going to Dartmouth. I met Bella on the plane, but my sister Alice and my mother Esme met her before in Forks." I held out my hand, which Charlie took without the usual surprise of the cold grasp. He was used to it. He had met Carlisle on many occasions at the hospital and at the police station. Carlisle was the town's coroner.

"Edward here was the one that saved Bella before the plane exploded," David informed Chief Swan.

"You saved my daughter?" Charlie asked while I nodded. "Thank you. My daughter can be quite a handful when it comes to her personal safety." He chuckled.

"Your daughter is pretty stubborn. I told her to get off the plane while I helped the Marshall here, but she took it upon herself to save everyone else." I shook my head in disbelief.

"That's my Bells. She always put others first." Charlie sighed.

_'We're here, Edward. Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie are waiting for you.'_

"Edward." Carlisle approached us from the exit. His eyes were the color of dark honey, and an expression of relief was on his features. He gave me a hug, followed by Esme, who looked like if she could be crying, she would be. They were followed by the tiny Alice, a touch of sadness in her eyes.

They all had the same thoughts. They were worried about my attachment to Bella and what would happen to me if she died. Alice had apparently filled them in about the events that had taken place on the plane.

"Charlie, I'm sorry about your daughter. I'm just happy that she and Edward had each other in this crisis." Carlisle put a hand on Charlie's shoulder.

"I'm just glad that your son took the chance to save her. I owe him one." Charlie smiled at my father and then at me.

"You don't owe me anything, sir," I stated simply.

"Nonsense, and call me Charlie." Charlie got up from his chair. "Carlisle, can you see if they'll let you take a look at her charts and see if they would give you more information?"

"Of course I can, Charlie." Carlisle went to a nurse's station. Esme placed her arm around me.

"Edward, we're staying at the Hilton that is just down the street. Go and get cleaned up, and you can come back later. We'll call if her condition changes."

_'The others are waiting for you. Alice told them where you can find the trail for James.'_

"She's right, son. You should go get yourself cleaned up and get some sleep. We'll be here," Charlie said as he patted my back. I sighed. I wasn't going to win this one. I didn't want to leave.

I "looked" for Carlisle and found that he was in Bella's room. He looked at Bella; her small body looked even more fragile. Her skin was paler than usual, a tube was under her nose, her head was wrapped in bandages and she had some light bruising on her face. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was slow. She was connected to a heart monitor and an IV, where her sedatives and pain medication were being fed to her intravenously. _She'll be fine, Edward. We'll call if there is a problem, _Carlisle thought, knowing that I'd be listening.

Alice put one of her tiny hands in my own. '_Just go. You have to find James. I still see her dying from a vampire attack. It's not you, because you look so upset.'_

She showed me the vision, and I gasped at the clouded image of me holding Bella in my arms as I cried out in misery. Bella's hand was bitten, her body cold and pale. James was laughing in the background. My own face twisted in anger and grief.

I nodded. I said my goodbyes to Esme, the Marshall and Charlie. I walked out into the night sky and thought to myself that James would no longer taint the air with his breath.

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**AN: Please review.**


	5. Wait

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Five – Wait**

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I approached Emmett's red jeep with him at the wheel. Jasper and Rosalie were sitting in the back. "How is she, Edward?" Emmett asked.

"Not good. Just get me to the hotel so I can clean up. We need to go hunting now," I explained as he drove out of the parking lot of the hospital. There was a growl behind me. A feeling of calmness was threatening to take over me. I hissed at Jasper's attempt at trying to soothe my anger.

_Edward, you need to calm down first__, _Jasper thought_._

"I will calm down once James has been torn to shreds for Bella and for Alice," I growled through gritted teeth.

"What do you mean, for Alice? What does James have to do with Alice?" Jasper responded, confusion in every word.

"He knew her when we first met him out in the clearing. He knew her all along. He was after her when she was still human, but another vampire saved her and made her safe. Alice was in a mental institution before. That's why she doesn't remember anything."

"Let's go," Jasper said as a wave of aggression was sent throughout the jeep. I knew that if Jasper came into contact with James, there would be no stopping him. But he had to wait in line.

"So, we have to kill James?" Emmett asked as he pulled into the hotel parking structure.

"Yes. I know Carlisle won't like it. There's also the possibility that Victoria and Laurent will join him," I stated simply.

We all swiftly exited the jeep and made our way up the stairs to our floor. Emmett handed me a key card, and I went to our hotel room I read from his head. I quickly changed and cleaned up, missing the scent of Bella in my clothes.

The others waited in the hallway. Jasper was thinking of James's body being ripped apart. Emmett was thinking how many swipes it would take for James's head to come off. Rosalie, on the other hand, was questioning our sanity. I exited the room and went into the hallway.

"Why should we risk ourselves for this human?" Rosalie whispered, only audible to our kind, her arms across her chest and her eyes narrowed.

"She's broken, Rosalie. It's his… my fault she will no longer be able to have children. I owe it to her to make sure he doesn't come after her again." Sadness crept in my voice as we entered the jeep.

"She can't have kids…" Rosalie clenched her fists, thoughts of children with dark curls ran through her mind. "Let's go." She'd always wanted children. That was one of the biggest regrets about her existence as a vampire. There was no doubt in her mind. She felt... something for Bella, remorse.

"Alice said that he landed somewhere near Cedar Rapids, Iowa. From there she saw him heading to Canada through Wisconsin and Minnesota, and then she said that she lost sight of him in Ontario," Jasper stated.

"Maybe we should just head to Ontario and see if we can follow his scent from there," Rosalie indicated as we flew through Chicago at a blinding speed.

"No, we should start from where he started. He may have used the lakes to get to Canada," Emmett stated, thinking of road maps of the regions.

"He's right, we want to make sure he doesn't double back. Head to Cedar Rapids. At the speed we're going, we should get there in a little over an hour."

"Are you forgetting, Edward, that he already has at least a four-hour head start?" Jasper indicated, picturing James entering the hospital and Alice trying to protect Bella. I turned my attention to Jasper.

"Do you think that is what he's going to do?" I asked silently, aware of the possibility of James doing what Jasper was thinking.

"Maybe, he seems like the type. There's also the possibility that he's not working alone. Victoria could be helping him. Let's not forget that he's likely to know about Alice's visions, so he'd try to use that to his advantage." The words were barely out of his lips when my phone buzzed in my pocket.

"Alice."

"He's here."

"Is he alone?" Emmett flipped a U-turn and headed back to the hospital.

"Yes. We're not leaving her side, Edward. I don't see him attacking yet."

"We'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Don't leave her, Alice. Tell Carlisle we no longer have a choice. James is dead."

"I know. Hurry."

I flipped my phone off. "Get us there, Emmett. We don't want to keep James waiting," I growled.

The tension in the jeep was palpable. We needed to figure out the best way to approach James. He knew of Alice's visions, but did he know about my gift? "It's probably best if we don't arrive in the jeep." Everyone nodded in agreement. We stopped abruptly, leaving the jeep in the parking lot of a grocery store.

"Emmett, Rosalie, head in from the north until you get to Alice. Jasper and I will head in from the south. Circle a few times until we can find a trail. If you have to make a call, make sure he's not around," I instructed, ready to get this over with so that I could see Bella.

Emmett and Rosalie headed north as I'd instructed. Jasper and I headed straight towards the hospital. We circled near the hospital a few times until we found James's trail. He was alone. We circled around to the south entrance and entered. His trail led inside.

_His trail leads inside the hos__pital from the north entrance, _Emmett thought. I could see him down a nondescript hallway, following James's scent.

_He's searching for her._ Rosalie was near a nurses' station, trying to find where the trail led to.

"Emmett and Rosalie said that he entered the north entrance also. He's making us go in circles. I'm going to Bella's room." Jasper nodded, but continued to follow the trail.

I made my way to the room that Carlisle had last seen Bella in. Alice was waiting at the doorway.

"Her father and Carlisle are with her now. She still hasn't woken up, but she's talking in her sleep." Alice smiled a smug grin as a memory played back in her head of Bella mumbling my name three times and that she wanted me to stay with her.

"It seems you made quite an impression on her. Question is… did she make an impression on you?" Alice crossed her arms across her chest and cocked an eyebrow. I shook my head. I was not ready to answer that question.

"Alice," I growled. She smiled again and let me through into the room. I walked in timidly, not wanting to overstep my welcome.

"Edward, back so soon?" Charlie asked, thinking back to the same memory that Alice had let me see earlier. He was worried that Bella would start dating me. He should worry, I thought to myself.

_Wait__… am I planning on dating her?_

"Yes, sir, I wanted to make sure Bella's condition is stable." I walked over to the foot of her bed. With my own eyes, it was much more difficult to see her in this condition. She looked so small on the bed. So pale, her lips still did not have the pink tint that they usually held.

_She'll be fine once we handle James__, _Carlisle thought as he looked over her chart. I tore my gaze from her and gave a questioning look at Carlisle. _It seems we have no choice in killing James. Of course I will do what I can to help._

"Where's my mother?" I asked my father, returning my attention to Bella.

"Esme went to pick up Renee from the airport, thankfully," Charlie answered, taking Bella's hand. His thoughts had an overwhelming desire to kick himself for letting her go to college so far away from him or her mother. He blamed himself, like he blamed himself for all of her little accidents.

Did he not see the pull that Bella possessed towards anything dangerous? How else could someone explain the fact that James had decided to come after her with only one encounter with Alice?

I questioned his motives. He was a hunter. He saw Bella as nothing more than a way to get to the rest of us. He liked the challenge that our family would give to protect this harmless girl.

I let my mind wander to Alice and Rosalie, who were with her in the hospital. Alice was trying to "talk" to me.

_He's gone. Emmett and Jasper lost the trail when h__e crossed Lake Superior. Sorry._

I knew once he'd gotten wind of all of us here, he would flee. But I also knew he'd be back.

Bella's eyes fluttered slightly, and she started to mumble in her medicine-induced sleep.

"Edward. Edward too… perfect," Bella mumbled and then sighed as my father and Charlie bit back a laugh.

_Well__, you now know how she perceives you._ _And you didn't have to read it from her mind._ Carlisle chuckled, barely audible to a human.

I glared at him. I didn't need to add more complications to our relationship. Her being physically attracted to me would make things complicated. It was bad enough already being obsessed with her blood, her thoughts and her body. We didn't need to add more fuel to the fire. Was I really thinking of forming any kind of relationship with this woman? Could I really be her friend... or more? I had no idea what she really thought of me. I knew I could avoid her in school – it was a large campus. But the pull I felt towards her would never allow me to leave her.

"Bella has always talked in her sleep, since she was a child." Charlie chuckled.

Hmm… this was a way for me to listen to her subconscious thoughts and dreams. The idea of watching her sleep fascinated me.

I heard Esme's thoughts as she entered the hospital with Bella's mother. "We should go, Carlisle, so they can have privacy," I indicated, wanting to leave before Bella's mother entered the room. Carlisle nodded.

"Thank you for everything, Carlisle, Edward, and to the rest of your family. Will we be seeing you again tomorrow?" Charlie asked as he took a strand of Bella's hair and tucked it behind her ear.

"Yes, Charlie, we will be around for at least a few days to make sure of Bella's condition," Carlisle stated, patting Charlie's shoulder. "She'll be fine, Charlie. Get some sleep. The airline said that they are putting up the families at the Hilton. My family and I are staying there too. If you need anything, let us know. We'll be happy to help." Charlie nodded as Carlisle and I walked out of the room.

The others were in the waiting room. Carlisle and I made our way to them as Esme walked Renee to Bella's room. Renee's mind was different than most adults her age, very child-like and her worries were very much like Charlie's.

Esme returned to the waiting room as we all contemplated what was going to be the next step.

But before we delved into that topic, I wanted to know why. I turned to Alice. "Why, Alice?"

She sighed. "If I had told you that the scent was from someone in town, you would've gone to find her and killed her." I nodded. I already knew I would have.

"When you started sniffing me –" she chuckled before continuing "I saw the vision of the plane crash. At that time, the plane was going to crash because you couldn't control yourself, and you covered up her death by bringing down the plane." I pinched the bridge of my nose. I would've killed them all.

"I instantly thought that I should warn you… but a new vision came to me." She sighed again before continuing. The rest of the family listened to Alice's confessions intently. "If you did not get on the plane, the plane would have gone down, but Bella's body would not be found among the wreckage. At the time, I didn't know that James would have been involved. So, I found another option – let you go on the plane, then warn you when you were already in the air." She grinned.

"Another option, Alice?" I growled. "There were so many things that could've gone wrong."

"Yes… and the moment that I had made the choice to call you, everything went fuzzy again. So, I knew I had made the right choice. Things cleared up once James made his choice, but by then all communication with the plane had been lost. There was no way to warn you." Alice shrugged, taking a seat.

I shook my head and looked at the rest of my family.

"We can't leave her unprotected. She has to stay at least a couple of weeks in the hospital. Most of those days will be cloudy, except for tomorrow," Alice indicated as her visions led to fuzzy images of Bella being taken out to a car from the hospital in a wheelchair.

"We also have to go home. James is going to get on a plane soon and is heading back to Washington." Alice struggled to make sense of the visions in her head. I didn't recognize the airport that he was in.

"Why would he go back to Forks?" Esme asked, coming up with the same conclusion as Alice. It didn't make sense.

"Maybe he's going back to get more information on Bella. Does he know what school you and Bella were heading to?" Rosalie indicated as she pictured James going through Charlie's home.

"He must know about the school. The only time that I had met with Bella back home was outside of the grocery store. She was wearing a Dartmouth t-shirt, and Esme mentioned that she was attending this fall with Edward."

"Are you saying that he waited until she was on the plane to get to her? He waited until Edward was involved. He was so competitive when we played baseball. He hated that Edward was too fast and he couldn't get on base," Emmett scoffed.

"I think, just in case, we can't leave Charlie unprotected once he returns home. James may decide that he can get more information there," Carlisle indicated, lacing a hand over his eyes.

"I have to stay. She is going to ask for my help. Renee and Charlie are going to have to go back to work, and Bella will need someone to help her until she heals," Alice said, obviously happy as visions of Bella's new home with new furniture and stocking her closet ran through her head.

"Well, that leaves Edward, Alice and Jasper staying here to watch over Bella until she can go to her home. Esme, Rosalie, Emmett and I will return home and keep an eye out for Charlie and for James," Carlisle stated. The entire conversation passed in less than thirty seconds in tones only audible to our kind. Everyone else departed to for the hotel.

I let myself listen to Renee's thoughts.

_She looks so fragile. Why do all these things happen to her? A plane crash! She's a walking __lightning rod for all bad things. How can I keep her safe? How is she going to take not being able to have a child? I always pictured her little girl with her beautiful brown eyes. How is she going to take being so broken?_

Alice thought as she and Jasper left. _Edward, I have to take Jasper back to the hotel. There's a victim coming in soon that will be covered in blood, and it won't be good if he's here. I'll call if I see anything._

I walked out of the hospital and headed outside of Bella's hospital window. There was a large bush that provided cover as I sat on the dirt under her window. I didn't want to be seen in the waiting area. It would just cause problems with Charlie, and I still hadn't met Bella's mother.

It was easier to watch Bella from her mother's thoughts. Her mother's mind constantly wandered. She was easily distracted. She would be staring at Bella, stroking her hand, but she'd be thinking of her husband Phil that was at home with a broken leg and trying to manage on his own. She would quickly sneak a peek at Charlie and idly wonder if he was still dating someone named Sue Clearwater. All the while she was remembering when Bella had broken her hand when she punched some boy. A boy named _Jacob Black_.

I growled. She was remembering when Bella had come back from a vacation from her father's, and she had said that she'd punched a dog that was trying to kiss her, but he had a hard head. I wanted nothing more than to rip his head off.

What was this ridiculous feeling of rage and hurt that was overwhelming me? _Jealousy_?

Only this creature could stir such strong emotions. Only this creature was capable of having two mythical beings fall in love with her. How had I come up with that conclusion? _Am I in love with her?_ Is this what it felt like to be in love?

I processed all the feelings I had felt since I'd come into contact with her. It had been an emotional rollercoaster. I felt curiosity, an urge to comfort her, lust, desire, jealousy and the overwhelming need to be with her. When I'd left her side to go to hunt, I felt like I'd left a piece of me behind. I'd been irrevocably changed from the moment I had met her.

Did this mean… that I was _in love _with her? For me to be in love with a human was laughable. To fall in love with a human who stirred such powerful desires was impossible. But yet the emotion was there. I quickly went through all explanations of love that I'd read, seen in a play or movie, and none seemed to compare to what I felt for her or to our situation. I _was_ in love with this woman, this human.

But could I be selfish enough to stay with her? I had known her for less than a few hours, and I already had her in constant danger. My own thirst, the plane crash and James were plaguing her existence. How could I stay with her, when I could be the one that could lose control and kill her? Even if my thirst didn't conquer me, my touch could kill her. Even now, I was fighting the urge to run into her room and hold her hand, stroke her cheek and kiss her lips.

Her lips… that one kiss outside the plans till tingled on my own lips. Her skin tasted so sweet, and the warmth was amazing, like a flame licking the icy planes of my lips.

_Stop__! _I couldn't think about that. I would not allow myself to do that again. But to fight the urges that were deep within me and that were fighting their way to the surface were getting harder to ignore.

I focused again on Renee's thoughts. Bella was talking in her sleep again. "Edward… kiss… don't go stay… with me." Bella sighed and smiled slightly. Renee looked over to Charlie as he laughed and shook his head. My dead heart swelled up at the thought of her dreaming of me.

The rest of the night, Bella remained quiet as I planned for my future with her. I knew that right now, I would not be able to leave. Not when she needed me, not when she wanted me to stay. I loved her, and I knew I always would. I would stay with her throughout college. Watch over her, protect her from harm. If she chose to move on, I would let her go. But I would still watch from afar.

Before it was light out, Alice picked me up in my Volvo. We were going to have to stay indoors to avoid the sunlight. I arrived at the hotel and changed into some clean clothes and Alice gave me a jacket, a pair of sunglasses and a cap to wear. I had to hurry and sneak into the hospital and find a room that I could "watch" Bella from. Alice dropped me off just a few minutes before the sun made an appearance.

I spent most of the day wandering from room to room until Alice said it would be safe for me to see Charlie and Renee. It was well into the afternoon when my phone vibrated in my pocket.

"How much longer will you be?" I said into my phone.

"Carlisle, Esme and I are on our way to the hospital. Renee and Charlie are going to leave shortly after we get there so they can get cleaned up at the hotel. She won't wake until tomorrow morning," Alice said, the sound of an engine running in the background.

"Good."

I hung up my phone and made my way to the waiting room. A few minutes later, Alice, followed by Carlisle and Esme, walked in just as Charlie was leaving Bella's room.

"Carlisle, Esme it's good to see you're here. The doctors said that they are taking away the medication that is letting her sleep so she can wake up. How long does that usually take?" Charlie asked, concern and sadness in his eyes and features.

"It's different with everyone, Charlie, I would say at least until late tomorrow morning. You look like you could use some sleep. Why don't you head to the hotel?"

"That sounds like a good idea. I'm going to go get Renee, so you can meet Bella's mother and see if she'd like to go too." Charlie looked at each of us. "You wouldn't mind staying for a few hours while we go to the hotel?"

"Of course not, Charlie, we'll stay with Bella," Esme said soothingly.

"That sounds great. Let me go get Renee." Charlie walked back to Bella's room and a minute later they both emerged. Renee ran straight for me and threw her arms around me. I was a little shocked.

_Relax, Edward… hug her back,_Alice thought.

I gently patted Renee's back as she lightly sobbed. "Thank you. Thank you. You saved our daughter. Thank you so much." Renee pulled away and wiped her tears with a tissue she held in her hand.

"Sorry, it's just that Charlie told me about you, and I just wanted to thank you," Renee mumbled, staring at me for few seconds then looking at Charlie.

"Renee, that was Edward, this is his father Carlisle Cullen, you've met his wife Esme and their daughter Alice." Charlie introduced us as Renee shook each one of our hands.

"Carlisle is a doctor and agrees with Bella's doctors. She won't be waking up tonight. Maybe late tomorrow morning. We should take this time to go the hotel and get cleaned up," Charlie explained to a reluctant Renee.

"We'll stay with her until you get back." Alice answered an unspoken question.

"That's fine, we need to call for a cab, Charlie." Renee walked back towards Bella's room. "Let me say bye, and then we can go."

"Charlie, I can drive you and Renee back to the hotel," Esme offered.

"That would be great, Esme." A few minutes later, Renee and Charlie left with Esme. I went and sat in the chair next to Bella. I took several deep breaths; the scent of Bella's blood sent flames down my already-scorched throat. Carlisle looked at me warily.

_Son, I'm worried about __you. Should you really be here?_

"No. But I can't force myself to leave."

_Why, Edward? Alice sai__d that her blood calls to you._

"I don't know how to explain it. My whole existence… my world was centered on my family and music but now… now it centers on her."

_Do you love her?_

"Yes, I suppose I do. There is no other explanation for what I'm feeling. Yet it seems inadequate. I'm scared, Carlisle."

_Of what, Edward?_

"That she'll feel the same way… that she won't feel the same way. I want to stay with her, but I will not take her life from her."

Carlisle and Alice gave me some privacy as I studied Bella's face. My urge to touch her overwhelmed me, so with a feather light touch I traced the contours of her cheekbone, her eyelids, her jawline, her nose and her lips. I leaned in and lightly pressed my cold, hard lips against her soft, warm ones. As I pulled away, she whispered, "Edward."

I held her hand for what seemed to be a short time when Alice entered the room.

"Charlie and Renee are on their way back." I nodded in response, released Bella's hand, stroked her cheek and sat down on the chair a little farther away.

Just then, Charlie and Renee entered the room. Once again, Charlie was thinking about me and his daughter dating. At least he didn't seem so opposed to the idea. Renee's thoughts were more along the lines that she thought I was very good-looking and that Bella was lucky to have made a friend already.

"Hello, Edward."

"Hello, sir." Charlie looked at me and cocked an eyebrow. "Charlie, I'm sorry." Charlie smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Edward, I can probably tell you to go on back to the hotel, but I have a feeling it would be a wasted effort." He chuckled.

"I'll wait outside until they tell me to leave," I said, getting up from the chair.

"You can stay, Edward. Charlie and I haven't had dinner yet. We're heading to the cafeteria before it closes to grab something. Would you like anything?" Renee asked, stroking Bella's hand.

"No, thank you. I just ate," I answered, as Alice and my father entered the room. Charlie leaned in and kissed Bella's cheek.

His thoughts were centered on a strange call he'd received from Billy Black. I clenched my teeth. The wolves were wondering about my involvement in the plane crash and Bella's injuries.

Renee and Charlie left. Once I knew we were safe to talk, I turned my attention to Alice.

"The wolves are questioning Charlie about our involvement with Bella. Can you see if they are going to cause problems?"

Alice looked into the future, and she saw nothing when she thought about the Quileutes pack. We had managed to avoid the wolves since we'd moved back to Forks, for the most part.

We'd only met with one named Sam Uley. We had thought that the genetic quirk that allowed for the mutations to exist had died out in the last generation. But Bella had confirmed that there was more than just one.

"I don't see anything. But I'm starting to think I can't see any of our futures when the dogs are involved." Alice snickered.

"I'll make some phone calls to remind them of the treaty and assure them that there is nothing to be concerned about," Carlisle said as he removed his phone from his jacket and headed out to the waiting room.

"Nothing to be concerned about. I wish I could believe that," I grumbled.

"Edward, she'll be fine, her future is becoming clearer." Alice thought of a vision of her and Bella arm in arm, another of an upset-looking Bella sitting in front of a mirror as Alice fixed her hair, another of me and Bella dancing, but there was another that Alice was fighting for me not to see.

"What are you hiding, Alice? Do you still see James attacking?"

"No. Not anymore. I don't understand why, though. Since he knows that I have visions, I suppose he knows that I won't see him attack until he chooses to."

"Good, then Bella is safe from becoming a vampire." Alice's resolve slipped, and she saw me running in the forests of New Hampshire with Bella running alongside of me.

I jumped up from the chair. "No! Why is she one of us?"

"Calm down, Edward. I don't see James involved in this. You and I both know that this can only go two ways. You won't be able to control yourself and you kill her, and I will be royally angry with you if that happens, and the other way – she becomes one of us."

"No, I'll leave now. I'll go somewhere else. I won't stay with her." I paced the room.

"Think about leaving, Edward. Think about it… can you really leave her behind? Leave her unprotected? James can go after her later, and you'll never forgive yourself. You'll die without her," Alice explained.

The idea of leaving and never seeing her face was too painful to bear, but so was the thought of me taking her soul, her life.

"Edward… don't go," Bella whispered, the corners of her lips turned down.

"Can she hear us?" I asked Alice. Alice chuckled and was hiding another vision from me. I glared at her and took Bella's hand in both of my own.

"Like I said before, you won't be able to leave." Alice smiled smugly before prancing to a chair near me.

We spent the rest of the night with Bella's parents, where her mother and father told interesting stories of her childhood and her inability to avoid accidents. A nurse eventually told us that visiting hours were over and that we needed to leave. Alice and I left, and Charlie followed us to the waiting room, where my father was on the phone.

"Renee is spending the night with Bella. I'm going to head back to the hotel," Charlie explained to Alice.

"We'll drive you. Carlisle and I are heading back, while Edward runs an errand for Esme," Alice suggested carefully, allowing me to stay the night outside Bella's window again.

"That would be great," Charlie expressed as Carlisle came over to us. His thoughts were on a call he'd had earlier.

_We may have trouble with the pac__k, _Carlisle thought before leaving.

"We should be heading back to the hotel. We'll see you later, Edward," Carlisle said while leading Charlie out the exit with Alice at their heels.

_See you in the morning. I'll__ pick you up so you can change._

"Early," I whispered.

_Of course._

The next morning after I returned from the hotel, Esme and Carlisle took Charlie and Renee to breakfast. Alice assured me that Bella and I would have a chance to talk alone when she woke up in a few minutes.

I sat beside her, and as much as I wanted to hold her hand or stroke her cheek, I restrained myself. I didn't want to scare her. Bella's eyes started to flutter, and then those beautiful deep brown eyes met with mine.

"Edward." She coughed. I grabbed a glass of water with a straw and held it close to her lips. She looked at me for a moment, and then took the straw in her lips. I studied the way her features looked, her lips slightly puckered. She looked adorable. She let go, and I placed the glass back on the side table. Bella sighe. "You're still here."

"Yes. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Alice is here too."

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I heard her when I was asleep." I stiffened. She'd heard everything that had been said in this room. She'd heard, but had she felt everything?

"What's the last thing you remember?" I asked warily, trying to avoid the pending conversation.

"The smell of blood… ugh." Bella scrunched her nose a little.

"Humans can't smell blood," I stated.

"I can. It smells like rust and salt." I stared at her. What was she? She seemed to be human with the same fragile body as all others, but her mind, her thoughts and everything she did made her seem that there was more to her than met the eye.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you. But you had that look in your eyes again. I didn't want you to risk exposing yourself," Bella mumbled.

There she went again, saying something that would be beyond any human saying. She was concerned that I would expose myself, and not the fact that I'd been ready to kill her. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Did I say something wrong?" Bella asked, looking at me, concerned.

"I'm trying to understand you, and every time I think I have you figured out… you say something or do something so surprising that it confuses me further."

"Like I said before, I'm a freak. Don't let it bother you. I'll always tell you what I'm thinking."

"You'll edit."

"You don't want to hear everything," Bella whispered and averted her eyes from me.

"Do you remember anything after the emergency room?"

"Yes, and at the crash site." She looked at me and smiled slightly, a glint in her eyes.

This time it was my turn to avert my eyes from her. "Umm… your parents went with mine to have breakfast."

I looked back at Bella, and she rolled her eyes. "I know. My mother said she was going before she left."

"You heard us."

"Yes… everything. I know what the doctor said about me."

"How do you feel?"

"Like I was in a plane crash."

"Very funny. You know what I mean."

"I feel that you have something to say and that you are trying to avoid it."

"Perceptive. But you still haven't answered my question."

"I've never pictured myself with children, so I guess it doesn't really matter."

"Why don't you picture yourself with children?"

"How do I explain it? I guess I'd be too worried that I'd hurt the baby with my clumsiness. Why risk it?" Bella shrugged and winced. "Ow!"

"What hurts?" I stood up and leaned over her and gently placed my hand on her cheek.

"Nothing now." She smiled and took her right hand and held my hand in place. The warmth was amazing. I pulled away gently, and Bella pouted slightly.

"Bella –" I closed my eyes.

"You've kissed me twice. Why?" Bella asked, her eyes touched with sadness.

"I –"

"Don't try to lie to me. Is it just because you feel sorry for me?" Bella's eyes started to glisten with tears.

"No, of course not! This can never work."

"How do you know? Did Alice see that it wouldn't?"

I growled. "Bella, that's not it. You know what I am, and you're human."

"Why does that matter? I'm already broken."

"Don't say that. You'll be up and about in a few days."

"No, Edward… I'm broken. I already know my life will never be the same. I'm starting to wonder… if maybe I was destined to be with you."

"Destiny," I scoffed.

"Yes, I was supposed to move to Forks in my junior year of high school. I would've met you then. What Jacob told me about your family prepared me for meeting you. And we ended up in the same flight so that you could save me. Destiny."

"Hardly." I heard Alice approaching the room, smug thoughts ran through her head.

"No, she's right, Edward," Alice said as she entered Bella's room.

"What makes you think so?"

"Easy. Did you know that you two are neighbors and have four classes together?" Alice smiled at Bella, who returned it with her own smile.

"You still haven't answered her question, Edward," Alice said, glaring at me. I glared back.

"What question?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Why did you kiss her?" Alice said.

"You know why, Alice," I growled.

_Oh, I know why, but I think you need to tell her wh__y, _Alice thought as she winked at Bella and left the room.

"Edward, you don't have to answer. It's okay. I couldn't expect you to feel anything for me," Bella said as she closed her eyes.

I placed both of my hands on her cheeks and kissed her lips. I pulled away slightly. "I… I love you, Bella. Never doubt that again, please." I kissed her once more before pulling away and pulling a chair close to her bed.

"You know, relationships that start with nothing but heart-stopping action never last." Bella laughed.

"That's what I'm counting on."

* * *

**AN: Thanks to lisa89 for helping clean this up. **


	6. Rising

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Six – Rising**

* * *

"That's what I'm counting on." My statement caused Bella to roll her eyes. "Your parents will be here in a few minutes. I should go," I said, getting up from the chair. Her eyes widened, and a look of fear flickered in her eyes. I sighed. I didn't want to cause her pain.

"I won't go anywhere, but I don't think your father would like for me to be the only one here. Never mind, Alice is coming." Alice walked in and took the other chair beside Bella's bed.

_Sorry, I wanted to see you sweat for a bit. I like Bella, _Alice thought as she smiled at Bella.

"It's nice to see you again, Alice. You said earlier that Edward and I are neighbors?" Bella cocked her eyebrow, her eyes filled with questions.

"Yes, I've seen Edward leaving his house and then walking to your house just next door." Alice chuckled. "He is the one that picked it out. He said it smelled nice around there. I take it you've been to your house?"

"Yes, just for a few days to drop off my things." Bella groaned. "I still have all that unpacking to do, and school starts in two weeks. How long do you think I'll have to stay here?" Bella asked Alice. Alice held up a finger up, and her eyes became unfocused as she peered into the future.

"Ten days, and you won't be on that ankle for at least three weeks. Sorry," Alice said, hiding a smirk. She knew Bella would ask for help, she already had seen it. "Your parents will be here in four seconds."

The door opened as Bella smiled at her mother. Her mother flung her arms around her. "Bella, Bella. You had me so worried. Strange man, decompressing cabin, and a plane crash all in one day? Please tell me you don't plan to top this one?" Renee looked at Bella with concern and tears rolling down her cheeks. Alice and I moved our chairs farther back from Bella's bedside.

"Let's see… last year was a tumble down a flight of stairs and then out a window that nearly killed me, and this year is a plane crash. If I top that, I'm sure I won't be around to talk about it, Mom."

Bella kissed her mother's forehead and wiped her tears for her. She was the parent, not the other way around. She cared for her mother. Bella looked past her mother to her father, who was just standing at the foot of her bed. "Hey, Dad."

"Hey, kid. You look better."

"I do?" Bella cocked an eyebrow.

"You've been worse." Charlie chuckled as he walked beside her and gave Bella a kiss on her forehead. _Good God, she's looked worse, _Alice thought. _Only you would fall for the one human that can't keep from hurting herself. _I nodded and couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"Hello, Edward… Alice. Thanks for staying with her this morning." Charlie looked at me and Alice. His thoughts seemed to be relieved. He was relieved that his daughter was alive and awake.

"Have you been awake for long, dear?" Renee asked, holding Bella's hand gently to avoid moving her IV.

"Not very long… maybe ten minutes or so. Alice and Edward were just telling me I'd probably have to stay for ten days or so," Bella mumbled.

"Yes, umm… darling, we need to talk about the extent… umm…" Renee turned to look at Alice and me, and then back to Bella and last at Charlie.

"Mom, I've been hearing everything that has been said in the room for the past day or two. I just couldn't open my eyes. I know _everything_. I'm okay." Bella shrugged and smiled, but the smile did not meet her eyes. She was hiding the pain she was likely in.

Bella's eyes drooped slightly, and she shook it off. "Bella, are you alright?" I asked, standing up. Alice jumped up on her feet. "Excuse me, Renee." I looked at Bella. Her eyes were unfocused and she was neither responsive to light nor to my fingers moving in front of her face. I turned to look at Alice, and she looked just as confused as I was.

_I don't see anything anymore for her, _Alice thought. Nothing like this had ever happened to her. If Alice couldn't see Bella's future anymore, did that mean she was going to die?

"Call a doctor and dad," I said, and Alice was out the door in a moment. Bella's parents hadn't noticed.

"What is it, Edward?" Renee and Charlie said simultaneously.

"I don't know… she looks like she's in a catatonic state." I shook my head. "Bella, can you hear me?" I said, touching her cheek gently.

A few moments passed when a doctor, my father and Alice entered the room. Bella's parents and I stepped away from the bed as the doctor checked on Bella.

He held a small penlight to each of her eyes, but they were unresponsive. "Isabella, can you hear me? Isabella…" The doctor snapped his fingers near one of her ears. Bella sat ramrod straight on the bed and screamed, causing the glass flower vase by her bedside table to shatter while everyone held their hands to their ears. The frequency was too high for even vampire ears. My gaze never left Bella as her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she slumped back down on the pillow with her eyes closed.

The doctor pressed Bella's call button while he looked into her eyes again. The nurse and two orderlies with a stretcher came into the room, "We need to get her an MRI." The orderlies quickly took down the railing down on each side of the bed and lifted an unconscious Bella off the bed using the sheet underneath her and laid her on the stretcher.

Renee was in hysterics as Charlie tried to comfort her. They followed the doctor and the orderlies out into the hallway. Carlisle, Alice and I stared at them as they walked out of the room.

"Alice, _please_ tell me you see something?" I asked warily.

"I can't see anything, Edward. The future around you and Bella has completely gone _blank_. But I don't think it's because you and she die, but because something is blocking it. If Bella was going to die, I'd have seen her die. But the moment she went into the trance, her whole future shifted and blacked out. And for some reason… so did _yours_."

"What does this mean, Carlisle?"

"It could mean nothing or many things." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "It could mean that the head trauma is more severe than what they had first assumed."

"Can you please make sure you're there when they have the test results?" I asked, my whole world crashing down around me. What would I do if she died? Would I allow it? Could I save her if there was a need to? Should I condemn her? I didn't want to see her in pain.

"Yes, of course, Edward." Carlisle left, following the doctor and Bella down the hall.

Alice and I waited in Bella's room for what was in reality a short time, but without her nearby, it felt like an eternity. The lights kept flickering for a few minutes as Alice kept trying to find our futures. But every time she concentrated on Bella, the future blacked out. Carlisle returned shortly, his face etched with worry. He was concentrating on a medical journal that he had read just the other day. He was blocking his thoughts from me.

"Carlisle, what is it?" I asked, desperate for answers.

"I'm not sure, Edward. But I can tell you this. Bella is _one of a kind_. It was only for a moment, before the screen told her doctors that everything looked normal. I'm not even sure if what I saw was real or just some type of computer malfunction. But…" Carlisle seemed to be at a loss of words.

"_Carlisle_," I urged, and he shook his head.

"For just a moment, the computer screen showed that she was using at least triple of what humans normally use of their brain at any given time. Then, all of sudden, it read normal. The room lights flickered and everything shut off. The doctors said it must have been equipment failure. That wasn't it, it was Bella. She said that she needed to get out of there now.

"She's awake?" I asked, trying to listen for Bella's voice.

"No, son... I heard her in my head."

Alice gasped, and I looked at the man that has been my father figure for the first time like he was a crazy man. He couldn't read minds and never had been able to. And Bella was _human_.

"That's not possible, Carlisle… she's human."

"I know that, Edward. Think about it! Alice must have been in that mental institution for a reason. She must have had pre-cognitive abilities already before she became a vampire. Your inability to read Bella's mind has to be happening for a reason. Maybe the blow to her head could have triggered something, for her brain activity to increase." Carlisle's thoughts started to wander, thinking of what Bella's abilities would be if she became a vampire.

"We will _not_ find that out, Carlisle," I growled. Carlisle composed his face.

"It was just a thought. I mean, no offence. They should be bringing her in a moment."

The conversation we'd just had had lasted less than twenty seconds and those twenty seconds had been the most agonizing conversation I'd had in my entire existence. The door opened as they wheeled in a very-much awake Bella in a wheelchair. She wore a smile on her face and was trying to reassure her mother that she was just fine.

I tried reading her mind and there was nothing there, just like before. The frustration I felt for not being able to read a single thought from her head was driving me insane. Bella looked at me for a moment.

_Relax, Edward. I'm not letting you read my mind._ I took a sharp intake of air, her scent setting my throat on fire. _Go… you need to hunt._

I thought to myself that I wasn't leaving until I knew she was fine.

_Will you stop being masochistic and go hunt? We'll talk later. _I shook my head. I was finally able to hear some thoughts, and she thought I was going to leave now. _Yes, I do. And, you will'_

Bella's father helped her out of her wheelchair and into her bed, being careful of her ankle.

"Thanks, Dad," Bella said as she settled herself in bed. She looked at every face and scrunched her nose a little in thought. "I'm _fine_, everybody. I heard everything during my 'trance-like state,' I just couldn't respond for some reason. Sorry if I scared anyone."

"Regardless of feeling better, I still think we need to get you a full MRI. I'll have one done when the equipment is up and running again. If something like that happens again, get me immediately. I'll have a neurologist come to see her and take a look at her x-rays to see if he sees anything that shouldn't be there," the doctor said sternly.

"Do you think we have something to worry about, doctor?" Renee whispered as she looked into Bella's eyes and moved a stray hair from her face.

"I won't know for sure, maybe swelling or an aneurysm at this point… _anything_ is possible. I'll come by later to check on you. I'm going to send the nurse back in to give you something for the pain." Bella nodded, and the doctor turned on his heel and left.

Everyone was quiet, and Bella was getting impatient and she sighed. She picked up a remote control attached to her bed and turned on the TV.

"If no one is going to say anything, I'll watch some TV. Look, Dad, a game is on." With that being said, everyone tried to relax. Renee started to clean the mess caused by the broken vase. Charlie sat in a chair and started to watch some basketball game and asked Bella to raise the volume.

_Please go, Edward. I'm fine. _I sighed and looked over at Alice and Carlisle, who both were watching Bella and me warily.

"I'm going to go and grab something to eat. Would you like anything, Bella?"

_Some mountain lion would be nice. _Then Bella started laughing in my head. "I don't know, can you stop and get me a turkey sandwich and maybe some chicken soup?" Bella said, looking at me with a smile.

"That sounds like a great idea. Alice and I will join you, Edward. Does anyone else need anything?" Carlisle looked expectantly at Renee and Charlie.

"I'm fine, thanks. I'm still full from breakfast," Charlie answered, patting his stomach.

"Same here, thank you," Renee answered while wiping the side table down with paper towels she'd gotten from the small bathroom.

"We shouldn't be any longer than an hour and a half minutes." I said, looking at Bella, and then I leaned in and brushed her cheekbone with the back of my hand.

_Bye _we both thought in unison. This was going to take some time to get used to.

Once outside of the hospital, Alice and Carlisle started to bombard me with questions.

"Can you hear her thoughts?" Alice asked.

"No, I can't read everything that is going through her head. I hear only what she wants me to hear."

Carlisle's thoughts were back in the room, watching the computer screen as Bella was in the MRI machine. He was studying the moment when the screen showed for a brief moment a scan of her frontal lobe. There, barely visible to our eyes, was a small un-ruptured aneurysm in her frontal lobe.

My hand curled around the door handle of my Volvo. "Is it _operable_?" I looked at Carlisle, his eyes turning from my line of sight. He shook his head. "No!" The handle crumbled in my hand. She was going to die. Anything could cause it to rupture, a bump to the head, a fall… _anything_. What was I supposed to do now?

_Edward, get in the car. I'll tell you the options we may have. _Carlisle opened my door from the inside.

I slid into my seat, laying my arm on the steering wheel. "Please tell me that you can save her?" I pleaded with Carlisle. Surely he could operate.

Alice slid in the backseat quietly, but then she sighed.

"What is it, Alice?" Carlisle asked before I could.

"I can see Carlisle make the decision to operate, but once Bella is on the operating table, it blacks out. I can't see what happens."

I placed my head on my arm. Was it possible to for a vampire to be exhausted?

"Edward, I don't know how to tell you this… but there is a chance that if you choose to turn her, the transformation may kill her before the change is complete," Carlisle said warily.

"_What_?!" Alice and I shouted in unison.

"Edward, you remember the pain, the fire burning within. There is a chance that the aneurysm will rupture, causing her heart to stop and effectively killing her before the transformation is complete."

"She _has_ to stay human," I sighed.

"Yes, for now. I can do some research on some new techniques to see if the operation can be attempted. But –"

"She could die at any moment. You heard her parents, she's clumsy. Any fall or bump to the head could cause it to rupture," I complained.

"You'll just have to make sure you're there to catch her every time," Alice said, smiling from the backseat.

Yes, I could be there to catch her, but what happened on days I couldn't leave the confines of my home.

"Let's go, we should be able to find something near the lake," I said, starting my car and heading down the street.

"Yes, you should. The rest of us hunted last night and scouted the area for James. Drop Alice and me at the hotel. We'll get Bella's food," Carlisle offered. I nodded and I left them just in front of the lobby.

I found few large bucks, barely satisfying my thirst, since Bella's scent was still fresh on my clothing. But they would have to do.

I left and made my way to the hotel, where everyone was waiting. _Everybody wants to meet her, Edward. Bella's parents are coming to the hotel to get cleaned up, so she'll be alone,_ Alice thought, a smile on her face as she held up a plastic bag.

I nodded as Alice, Esme, Carlisle and Jasper entered my car. Emmett and Rosalie pulled up behind me as I hit the gas, looking at Alice in my rearview mirror.

"How did you see that Bella's parents were leaving, if you can't see her future?" I asked, not understanding why Bella's future was blocked from Alice.

"I saw her parents leaving the hospital, and that's because they left her presence," Alice said, deep in thought.

"I wonder if Jasper's gift would work on her," Carlisle said from the passenger seat.

"We'll find out soon enough." I pulled into a parking spot, and Emmett pulled into the one next me. We exited just as Bella's parents took off in a cab.

We walked into Bella's room, and she was sitting up in bed looking expectant. Alice pranced to her bedside and rolled the side table so that Bella could eat. Alice and Bella started opening up the packages and a bottle of water.

"Thank you, Alice." Bella smiled and took a bite of her sandwich. Everyone was quiet and staring at Bella, much to her embarrassment. Blushing, Bella broke the ice. "If you all keep studying my eating habits, I'm going to stop right now."

"Sorry," we all said in unison. Bella laughed and shook her head, took another bite and put her food down to take a sip of water.

"Let's see, I haven't met some of you. Let me see if I get all the names right… that's Emmett, Jasper and the beautiful Rosalie." Bella looked at each person as she said their name. "Jasper has a gift like Edward and Alice. You can try to use your gift, I know you want to." Bella shrugged, taking a spoonful of soup.

Jasper took a few steps forward, trying to make Bella angry, but she kept smiling at him.

"I think that's enough, Jasper. It's obviously not working," I growled.

"Don't worry about it. It most likely has to do with the same reason why Alice can't see my future any longer. But the good news is… I can. I already know what has to be done to save my life. Yes, I know about the thing in my head. For now, I need to stay human. I will not tell you why, because I don't know that, yet. I just know. But, I will need to become one of you. If Edward chooses not to change me, I will die."

"Bella, are you saying you can _see_ the future now?" I asked, stepping closer to her.

"Yes, that's what happened earlier when I went into that 'trance' thing. It was pretty powerful as my first vision, so I didn't take it too well. But I'm fine now." Bella shivered visibly.

"What did you see, Bella?" Carlisle asked.

"My transformation…" Bella mumbled. My fists clenched by my sides – she'd been feeling the burning… the painful burning.

"It's strange. You used to be able to block your thoughts, but now you can project them and let Edward read yours at will. And now you have visions. It's like you're absorbing gifts of those around you."

"I think that may be it. There is one way for me to test that, and since Jasper is here, I believe we can. Can you step a little closer, Jasper?" Bella asked nervously. Jasper looked at me for approval, and I nodded. Jasper stepped closer.

"It may be triggered by touch, but I could be wrong." Bella closed her eyes in concentration, her brow furrowed. "No. It must be by touch." Bella held out her hand to Jasper, who looked at me again for approval. I nodded again. Jasper placed his hand on Bella's. Instantly, the room felt lighter and I felt myself relax, like I had no worries.

"By touch, then," Bella said as she pulled her hand away from Jasper's with a smile on her face.

"Amazing!" Carlisle said, expressing his thoughts.

"Edward, do you hear the voices constantly? They sound like a buzz, and it's starting to give me a headache," Bella said, rubbing her temples.

"Yes. I can't turn them off. I try not to hear them, but some thoughts are just too loud to avoid hearing them," I said, taking a chair and sitting by Bella's bedside.

"You lived with three couples, I'm sure those were long nights for you," Bella said, chuckling as she put the rest of her food away.

"You have no idea." I smiled and took her hand in my own. "I'm sorry about the headaches, though."

"It's a part of being human. Don't worry, I'll get used to it. At least I can block them out. It's only when I want to hear others that I do. But, I wonder..." Bella closed her eyes, and then suddenly I couldn't hear anyone's thoughts.

_Can you hear me, Edward? _Bella asked, looking at me. I nodded. _Can you hear the others? _I shook my head. _Well, it seems I can turn it off for you, too. _Bella was smiling at me, she pulled her hand away, but the other's voices didn't return. Bella smiled again, and then the voices returned.

_What are you two doing, Edward? _Carlisle asked, watching us.

"Bella can put up some kind of shield, so I don't hear everyone's thoughts. It doesn't seem to have to do with touch, though." I answered Carlisle's thought.

"This is too weird. I'd expect this kind of thing from a vampire… but a _human_?" Emmett expressed, his arms folding across his chest.

"Cheer up, Emmett," Bella said. "If you want, I can block Edward's ability for a while, and you two can have a fair fight." I scoffed at the idea, Emmett would love it. Emmett eyes widened, and then he grinned.

"Yes, finally!" Emmett flexed his muscles, glaring at me. Everyone broke into laughter. "Can we go try now?"

"We don't know if it has to do with proximity yet, Emmett. You'll have to wait until I feel better to go outside," Bella said, trying to send a calming wave towards Emmett. She smiled when he relaxed his stance.

"It's going to be fun having you around, Bella. I know it," Emmett said, clapping his hands together once.

"Bella, you said earlier that you know what has to be done to save your life. Can you tell us what needs to be done?" Carlisle stepped forward, curious to what Bella had seen.

"The vision is very hazy and unfocused. I just know that I'm dying. Possibly from a rupture, but Carlisle keeps my heart pumping and my lungs breathing while the transformation takes place," Bella mumbled.

"Brain dead?" I looked at Carlisle.

"It's possible to keep her body alive while the venom spreads and heals the rupture," Carlisle indicated.

"So, the aneurysm ruptures?" I asked Bella. She shrugged, taking a sip of water.

"You're keeping something from us. What is it?" I tried to decipher her facial expressions to see what she was hiding.

"I don't think it's just the aneurysm. In the vision, there is a lot of blood everywhere. Something happens to me and most likely causes the rupture, causing me to go brain dead, I think. I don't know what happens to me to be covered in blood. But Edward and Carlisle are in the room. Umm… there is a point before I lose consciousness but something punctures my chest. I don't know what. Then I wake up like you."

"Something punctures your chest? Hmm…" Carlisle started thinking of reasons why or what could cause that. "Can you show us the vision?"

Bella shook her head. "Why?" Carlisle and I asked in unison. Bella sighed and then blushed feverishly, her entire face red down to her neck. I clenched my jaw and stopped breathing. The scent was overpowering.

_I'm not wearing anything._ Bella's thought ran through my head.

"Oh," Carlisle and I said in unison. If I could've blushed, I probably would've. No wonder she didn't want to show us.

"What?" Emmett asked, looking at Carlisle and me.

"Don't worry about it, Emmett. It's none of your business," Carlisle replied.

"I'm just happy that you'll be joining our family, Bella." Esme came by Bella's bedside and kissed her forehead.

"We don't know if she'll become a vampire yet," I growled, unable to hide anger. "Bella said that the vision is unfocused and hazy."

"Even so, you've made your decision to be with her, so she is family," Esme scolded.

Bella stiffened, her eyes unfocused. "Damn it, Edward. Everything just changed again. You're the reason why it's so unclear. You don't want forever with me," Bella said, looking away from everyone. She lay down on her pillow, closing her eyes and pulling her hand away from mine.

"I didn't say that, Bella."

"We'll give you two some privacy. Bella's parents will be back after three," Alice said, and a moment later, Bella and I were alone.

_Bella, look at me. _Bella sniffled and turned her head toward me, opening her eyes slowly.

"I never said that I don't want you. How can I not want you? Like it's possible not to want you. I told you before… I love you. I just… feel that making you one of us is cheating you of a full life of being human."

"You're afraid for my soul?" Bella asked, her eyes questioning.

"Yes."

"You believe that you and your family have no souls?" I nodded. "Well, that's stupid," Bella scoffed, scrunching up her nose and her brow furrowing in anger. "How can you believe that? Can you tell me you believe that Carlisle has no soul when he is so compassionate and loving? You've seen the love that your family has for each other. If you are capable of love, then I believe you have a soul," Bella stated matter-of-factly.

"Despite your beliefs, I won't give up on keeping you human."

"Fine, I'll have someone else change me."

"Bella," I growled.

"Enough! I refuse to have this conversation with you anymore, since you're being unreasonable. There will be plenty of time for that. My transformation seems to take place in the last vision in late fall, and the desk calendar indicates next year."

"Bella?" So soon, I thought.

_I want to try something. Are you willing to listen?_

_Yes, _I thought cautiously.

_Good. I want you to close your eyes, please._

I looked at Bella, who had a slight pout on her perfect lips. I sighed and closed my eyes. I no longer heard any of the voices in my head. It was very strange, not being able to "hear" anything.

_Good, it's working. Okay, try to clear your head. That's good. Now, can you think of somewhere you'd like to be? Somewhere you like to go?_

My first thought was the meadow, and instantly I saw the meadow in my mind_._

"_It's so beautiful, Edward. Where is this place?"_

"_It's a meadow near Forks."_

"_Thank you for showing me. Now, I'm going to use my thoughts to give you a daydream. You should be able to contribute, too. Just think like we're really there."_

"_Bella…" In my mind, Bella was standing in the middle of the meadow, soaking up the sun in a dark blue sundress with her eyes closed, her hair blowing in the breeze. She opened her eyes and turned toward me._

"_Take my hand." Bella extended her hand, but I could see myself saying no. She still hadn't seen me in the sun._

"_You sparkle? Really? So, the sun doesn't burn you?"_

"_Myth," I replied._

"_Well, since I know what to expect, please, sit with me… the sun feels nice."_

_Bella sat among the tall grass, pulling up her knees to her chest, looking at me and waiting._

"_It's not real, Edward. I know it feels real, but it isn't. Maybe if you don't want to sparkle, you won't." Bella laughed in my thoughts and in the hospital room._

_I stepped out in my mind and slowly lay on the grass near Bella. The scent and sensation of the warmth emitting from Bella's body and the sun felt so real. I wasn't sparkling. My skin looked pale white and hard, but the sun didn't reflect off it._

"_Is this what it feels like to dream?" I thought._

"_Your mind is providing the place, so the scents and sights seem more vivid than a dream. Don't you dream?"_

"_No, we don't sleep."_

"_No coffins?"she asked._

_I chuckled. "No coffins."_

"_Why do you think this is happening to you, Bella?" In my thoughts, she touched my hand and started tracing small patterns on my skin along my arm. The sensation was amazing – so real._

"_I'm not sure... Maybe the shield I had before was weakened when I hurt myself, and it's why I have a way to let you read my thoughts. Maybe my mind was shielded in the first place to avoid getting others' powers. It doesn't seem to make sense now. But maybe in time it will." The Bella in my thoughts looked up at me._

"_Can I see you sparkle now?"_

"_No. I'll show you the real thing soon."_

_She nodded, smiling. "Is this alright?" she asked as she looked at me and then down to her hand moving slowly up and down my arm._

_I closed my eyes. "Yes."_

_Bella laid back on the grass beside me, her hand entwined with my own._

"_I noticed before, you all have gold eyes, and earlier you had black eyes. Why?"_

"_We all have gold eyes because we refrain from human blood. If our diet consisted of human blood, we'd have red eyes. Our eyes darken with hunger."_

"_What color were your eyes when you were human?"_

"_Green. My human memories_ _have faded some, but Carlisle remembers."_

"_Well, show me. You made yourself not "sparkle," maybe you can change your eye color. This is a daydream, after all."_

"_Alright." I closed my eyes in my mind and opened them. I looked over to Bella, and she smiled._

"_Beautiful,_" _Bella whispered. I looked into her eyes and saw an emotion so powerful that it took me by surprise._

"_Bella." I closed my eyes._

_Bella's hand cupped my face. Her fingers traced my jawline, my nose, the curve of my brow – she was studying my face. Her fingers traced my lips, and I opened my eyes._

_My resolve came crashing down, and I leaned in to kiss her. Then she was gone. _The thoughts of the staff and patients in the hospital came rushing back in my head.

"_Oops,_" Bella laughed. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting that, and I lost it."

"That's all right. I'd rather have the real thing. Dreams don't do you justice." I leaned in slowly, my hand cupping her face as I pressed my lips to hers. Bella moaned slightly, her lips parting as I pulled away.

"At least I was conscious for that one." Bella laughed. I shook my head and sat down on the chair again.

"That was unedited." Bella laughed. "So, did you enjoy your daydream?"

"It was nice. I felt human for a little while. Thank you."

Bella stifled a yawn. "You're tired. You should get some sleep." Bella nodded and closed her eyes, laying on her pillow.

I wondered idly if I would be able to read her thoughts while she slept. I hadn't been able to before.

"You'd better not. If you are able to, you'd better leave," Bella grumbled, a blush coloring her cheeks. I laughed.

"Sleep, my Bella. I won't intrude if that's what you wish."

"You won't go anywhere?"

"I'll wait until your parents tell me to go, and then I'll be right outside your window." Bella nodded and yawned lightly again.

"I love you, Bella."

"I love you, Edward." My dead heart soared as she said those words for the first time.

* * *

**AN: Thanks to lisa89 for your help with cleaning this up a bit.**


	7. Future Unknown

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Seven – Future Unknown**

* * *

She _loved_ me. This beautiful, loving, selfless woman… loved me, the monster. How could this be? I watched her as she fell asleep with me holding her hand, stroking her cheek. But as before, I couldn't read her mind while she slept.

I heard Bella's doctor down the hall, thinking of checking on her. I heard the door open to Bella's room as I kept my eyes on her.

"Hello. How is my patient doing?" Dr. Michaels whispered.

"She had some lunch earlier, and she fell asleep about ten minutes ago, doctor," I whispered back.

After a quick check-up, the doctor indicated that the MRI equipment was going to take at least a couple of weeks to be fixed. So, Bella would need an MRI examination back home. After that, the doctor left to continue his rounds.

_Edward, Bella's parents are going to be here soon. Carl__isle, Esme and I are coming in._

A few moments later, the others came in.

_Can you read her thoughts while she's asleep? _Carlisle thought.

I shook my head.

"But we shared a dream or something. It seemed so real. It was like we were really there."

"Interesting… I'm starting to wonder, with her brain capabilities, whether she'll develop other gifts," Carlisle said. "I was thinking of the incident with the MRI equipment. The electrical problem couldn't be a coincidence. She may have caused it," he said, barely audible to anyone but us.

"Regardless, we have a few decisions to make," Esme explained.

"We need to have a family meeting and have a decision about our future in Forks," Carlisle stated.

"Bella's parents will be here in a few minutes. We can find a vacant room and have our discussion. Jasper and the others will be here in five minutes," Alice said.

"Find a room. As soon as Bella's parents are here I'll join you," I said. The others nodded and left.

I held Bella's hand for a while longer as I waited for her parents to arrive. I heard her parents' thoughts before I heard the door open.

_He doesn't leave her side. He must really care for her._ Renee was pleased that Bella had someone to care for her so much, but at the same time, she was worried that we'd take things too fast.

_He's here again… alone._Charlie's thoughts were similar to Renee's.

"Hello, Renee, Charlie… I was waiting for you to arrive. My family is waiting for me outside so I can grab a bite to eat."

_At least his parents are here__, _Charlie thought_. _"How long has she been asleep?" Charlie asked, taking the seat next to me.

"She fell asleep about twenty minutes ago. I'm going to head out. If she wakes up, can you please tell her I'll be right back?" I asked, looking at both Renee and Charlie and getting up from the chair I was sitting in.

"Sure, Edward. You get some rest. We'll take care of Bella," Renee said, taking the seat I'd just vacated.

I touched Bella's cheek one more time, released her hand and left the hospital room.

I let my mind wander and found my family on the top floor in an area that was being renovated. The others had arrived. I was a little nervous about this meeting. I knew my future, and it was with Bella for as long as she wanted me. But my family was another matter. I knew Alice would come and live in New Hampshire and that Jasper would follow. What I was worried about… was Carlisle. I needed him to move here. If the time came and Bella needed medical help, I needed him close by.

I walked into the room where everybody was sitting in chairs that someone had found in a storage closet. I took my seat beside Carlisle, with Esme on his other side.

"I need to hear from each one of you, your opinion on the idea of moving the entire family to New Hampshire." Carlisle spoke cautiously.

"Before we voice our opinions… if we move, it will take time. We need to look for a home, renovate it, if needed, and look for jobs. And since Bella and Charlie are involved now, we can't in essence start over. We'd have to continue with the charade we currently have, only with a change of location," Esme added.

"Edward," Carlisle said, looking at me.

"I would love for you and the rest of the family to move to New Hampshire, but I will keep and stay in my own home," I answered, a smile playing on my lips. I wanted my privacy and to give them theirs.

"Alice." Carlisle spoke in barely a whisper.

"Bella is going to be my best friend and for that, I need to move here. So, I'm all for it," Alice said, excitement in her eyes.

"Jasper," Carlisle said.

"Wherever Alice goes, I'll follow," Jasper answered, his eyes on Alice.

"Emmett?" Carlisle stated like a question.

"You know me. Wherever the action is, I'm there, and it's going to be anywhere Bella is," Emmett said, his booming laughter filling the room. He was thinking of fighting me. I'd never been at a disadvantage before. This should be interesting.

"Rosalie." Carlisle said her name cautiously. She had expressed her displeasure on risking our lives for Bella's. I also knew that she hated being what we were the most.

"A change of scenery would be nice. Besides, New York is close enough for shopping." Rosalie shrugged her shoulders.

"Yay! Shopping! I could just see it now. Damn it! No, I can't. Bella seems to be blocking it, which means she's coming with me! YAY!" Alice squealed, bouncing in her chair.

I rolled my eyes, making a mental note to warn Bella about Alice and her shopping trips. Alice stuck out her tongue out at me when I made that decision.

"Well, since that has been decided, Esme and I will start making arrangements," Carlisle said. Then he thought of something else, something that had him worried.

"The wolves are going to be a problem?" I asked Carlisle.

"The pack leader, Sam, was quick to remind us of the finer points of the treaty, including that we are not allowed to bite another human. That may become a problem, if or when we need to turn Bella," Carlisle stated firmly.

"I'm sure Charlie will tell his friend of my relationship with Bella, which may cause them to pay a visit later. Until then, leave it as it is," I said, shrugging. Bella had mentioned her friend Jacob, and I was sure he was the reason for the sudden interest in Bella's personal life.

"There may be another problem," Jasper said cautiously. "Bella knows about our existence. If any other vampire finds out about what she does know, the Volturi may pay her a visit. I know Aro will take an interest in her because of her gifts."

"You may be right about that, regrettably. Hopefully, Alice can warn us if anyone else comes around, or if the Volturi pay us a visit," Carlisle indicated to us all. "That's the only thing we can do, for now."

"So, now for immediate plans, we need to discuss. It was already established that Jasper and Alice will be staying here to help you and Bella settle in. The rest of us will go back home and keep an eye out for James." Carlisle asked to double-check that this was still acceptable. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"We'll let Bella's parents know that we are leaving and say goodbye to Bella." Esme smiled. She was happy… happy that I had finally found someone.

_Edward__, where are you? _Bella's thoughts interrupted my own.

"Bella's awake and she's looking for me. I have to go." I got up from my chair.

"We'll join you." Carlisle also rose from his chair, the others following closely behind me.

We made it to Bella's room swiftly. Charlie's thoughts were chaotic at best and full of fear, as were Renee's.

_Get them out of here. I'm having trouble controlling mysel__f, _Bella pleaded, communicating with all of us through her thoughts. I looked at Jasper, and he nodded. He sent a calming wave towards Bella and her parents. Bella's parents' bodies relaxed immediately.

Esme and Rosalie stepped in, asking if they'd like to grab a cup of coffee downstairs in the cafeteria. Bella's parents' confusion was still written on their faces, but they seemed relieved to leave.

After they had left, I went to Bella's side immediately. "What is it, Bella?"

"I started answering their thoughts instead of what they were really asking. Then all of sudden, I was scared when they realized what I seemed to be doing, so they got scared. Then I was angry with myself, and they got angry. Do you see the pattern here?" Bella sighed. "What a mess! I think I'm broken."

"Bella, you'll be fine. It's just a little overwhelming at first." I tried to reassure her.

"Yeah, but when you started reading minds, you were a vampire. Your mind was able to handle it better. But I'm a human… and I can't seem to master it." Bella's lower lip jutted out further in a pout begging to be kissed.

"Edward, that's not helping." Bella blushed.

"Oops." I smirked. Bella rolled her eyes. Jasper and Alice snickered behind me.

"There are way too many emotions and thoughts in this room. It was hard enough with just two humans. But five vampire minds that can think of many things at once… are going to drive me insane," Bella said, rubbing her temples.

"Can't you block everything, like you did before?" Jasper said, sending another calming wave towards Bella.

"I've been trying since I started arguing with my parents, but I can't do it. Their thoughts kept screaming into my head." Bella reached out for my hand, and when she found it, she sighed.

"Why were you arguing with your parents?" I asked, looking in her eyes.

"Well… Mark, a deputy, his wife is getting ready to give birth in a few days, so my dad needs to go back. But he doesn't want to. Then my mom is starting her first day of school in a few days, also… but she won't leave. They're being rather stubborn," Bella complained.

"They just want to make sure you'll be fine, Bella," Alice stated, taking a cup of water and handing it to her.

"You can see my future again, can't you?" Bella asked, taking a long sip of her water.

"Yes, for the last few minutes, but not very far into the future." Alice shrugged.

_Sorr__y_, Alice thought so I could read.

"I thought I was a freak before… but now, I know I am," Bella grumbled.

"You're not a freak, Bella. You're talking to a room full of vampires, and you think you're the freak?" I asked, cupping her cheek with my hands, her eyes searching mine.

"She has a point though, Edward. For humans, she is a freak. Even for vampires, she's a freak," Emmett stated matter-of-factly. I shot him a glare, a growl rumbling in my chest.

"He's right," Bella said, rolling her eyes when I tried to argue with her. "I am a freak, any way you put it. Okay, I'm going to try to relax and see if I can control myself," Bella stated, closing her eyes.

"Your parents are coming back. Everybody relax," Alice said cheerfully, taking a chair beside Bella.

"Sure, Bella. I would love to help you finish getting your house ready for you, while you're here," Alice said with a big grin on her face, just as Renee walked in. I gave her glare and rolled my eyes.

"Bella, Alice, that's a great idea. I know Bella was worried about trying to do all that on her own." Renee smiled, putting a hand on Alice's shoulder. "That's really kind of you, Alice."

"Yeah, Alice, that is really kind of you. I just need you to unpack my stuff, nothing else," Bella said through gritted teeth.

_Alice, yo__u'd better not even think of making your last vision coming true._

I stifled a laugh, listening to the thought she'd sent to Alice. Bella shot me a glare.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure everything is ready when you get there. I have to help Edward too, since he's staying here," Alice said just as Charlie and my parents came in.

"You're staying, Edward?" Charlie asked, looking at me and then and Bella.

"Yes, Dad. He's staying to keep me company, while you and Mom go home for a while. So is Esme. Once the doctor gives me the green light to go home, you and Mom can come back," Bella stated, her chin held a high and her arms folded across her chest. _Kitten-like anger and defiance_. She glared at me for a moment before returning her gaze to her parents.

"I guess you're right, sweetie. I need to finish my class and see if I can find a sub for when you can go home," Renee said a little too easily. I watched Bella and could see she was using her gift to influence them.

Charlie sighed. "Fine, you win. I'll go home, but I'll be here when you fly to New Hampshire."

"Umm… I have no intention of flying, at least not for a while. Edward and Esme… can you drive me home, please?" Bella pleaded, her doe-like eyes wide and filling with tears.

"Bella, I know you're scared of flying, but that's a long drive when you're still healing," Renee said calmly, rubbing circles on Bella's hand.

"I'm not really scared of flying. I'm scared of bringing down another plane full of people because of my bad luck," Bella stated, like it was obvious.

Emmett stifled a laugh as I shot him a glare. A nurse came into the room and looked at all of us.

"No way. There are way too many of you in here. Come on, get out. Miss Swan has to get cleaned up. Your mom can stay. The rest, out!" the nurse said firmly and pointed to the door.

Rosalie came up to Bella and leaned, and whispered in her ear. "You're good for him. Sorry if I seem a little cold." Rosalie stood up. "We'll see you soon, Bella. Emmett, Dad and I are flying out today."

Emmett was wavering on whether or not he should try giving Bella a hug. He shuffled toward Bella, and his big hand wrapped around Bella's tiny one. "We'll see you soon. I want to hold you to your word, soon." Bella laughed and shook her head.

"We'll see you soon, Bella. You should be up and about in now time," Carlisle said as he, Rosalie and Emmett left the room.

Charlie walked out behind them, to talk to Carlisle, it seemed like. Jasper kept his distance but looked at Bella. "I'll see you soon, Bella," he said as he left.

"Don't worry, Bella. I'll have everything ready when you get there," Alice chirped, jumping out of her chair and giving Bella a kiss on her cheek. Bella glared at her as Alice's thoughts were of Bella's empty closet and everything she planned to buy to fill it in. Alice just grinned then left with Jasper.

"I'll be right outside in the waiting area. I'll see you in a bit." I leaned in and kissed her cheek. Bella's heart thumped wildly for a few seconds as she blushed. I left, looking back as the nurse and Renee closed in on her.

I walked in slowly from the hall to the waiting area where Carlisle and Esme were speaking with Charlie. I was walking into a conversation.

"… not that I don't trust him, Carlisle. It's just strange. That's all. You have to understand, I've never had to deal with this. Bells never dated while she stayed with me or when she was living with her mother. They seem to be so intense already, and they've just met. I don't want to see her get hurt. She has nobody over there," Charlie whispered, his back to me. My father looked over Charlie's shoulder at me before he spoke.

"My son is a good person, Charlie. He'd have to be, to get your daughter's attention. He's an adult and smart enough to understand that Bella is one of a kind, and I _know _he won't hurt her," Carlisle stated with so much conviction that Charlie's stance softened and he smiled.

"I know, but I'm still glad Esme is staying." Charlie chuckled. I walked slowly toward them as Charlie turned towards me. His smile at least didn't leave his face. I returned it with a small smile.

I'd ever had to deal with the whole pleasing and impressing "the parent" issue before. I was still new to it.

"I think I'm going to head to the hotel and make arrangements for my flight and one for Renee."

"Just call the number that the airline left. They'll take care of everything for you and Renee," Esme said, smiling and walking Charlie outside.

_She'll be fine, Edward. She's a human; the powers are just a little hard for her to control. It will take time. Just let her know that she should take it easy while she's still healing__. _Carlisle thoughts indicated as he walked behind Esme and Charlie.

I waited in the waiting area for over twenty minutes. Renee walked out of Bella's room with a smile on her face as she walked over to me.

"Edward, she's asking for you. I'm going to head to the hotel to get ready to leave. Charlie just called Bella's room. My flight leaves in a few hours. I'll be back to say goodbye, and so will Charlie. I'll see you later, my cab should be here. Thanks for being there for her," Renee said with a smile.

"I'll always be there for her," I said, a smile playing on my lips. Renee nodded in response and left.

I made my way to Bella's room to find her sitting in the bed, waiting for me. A smile formed on her perfect lips as she scooted more to the left side of her bed. She patted the bed beside her. She was inviting me to lie beside her. My breath hitched, which did not go unnoticed.

_Relax, I don't see you biting._Bella smirked and patted the spot beside her again. I moved swiftly across the room and took a deep breath. Bella watched me as I slowly lay down beside her. I took several deep breaths, her scent magnified from her wet hair. She smelled amazing. It was mouth-watering.

_Like flowers? It's not everyda__y that I'm told I smell edible. _Bella chuckled as I rolled my eyes.

"Carlisle thinks you should refrain from using your powers while you're still healing," I whispered, facing her, my hand stroking her cheek.

"Really? I was hoping we could try sharing a daydream again," Bella whispered, her fingers of her right hand touching along my jaw.

"Maybe later. I want to try something." I pulled her closer gently, as I leaned in. My lips grazed against her nose, her soft, warm cheek and her forehead. Bella was holding her breath, and then she exhaled, intoxicating my senses. I leaned in further, her body emanating warm heat and her heart beating like a humming bird as I brought my lips to hers.

The feelings that this kiss was stirring within me were brought to the surface and starting to boil over. I pressed my body closer, feeling every plane of her body against mine. Bella's heart was beating erratically as I remembered she had to breathe. I started to pull away, but she seemed to get over-excited as she tried to bring her left hand over to hold me in place.

That was when everything went wrong. Bella winced in pain, and her body stilled as we both realized that she had pulled out her IV from her hand. Blood was dripping out of the tiny wound.

A growl rumbled deep within my chest. "Bella." The lights went out as Bella screamed in the darkness.

* * *

**AN: Thanks lisa89, you are the bomb. :)**


	8. Powerful but Weak

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Eight – Powerful but Weak**

* * *

Suddenly, I felt myself being flung across the hospital room, pinned against the wall. In the darkness, I still could see Bella sitting in her bed, looking at me, her hand and arm extended towards me. The scent of her blood was calling to me, thinking of ways to get what I desired and craved. I heard a sudden intrusion in my thoughts, and I realized someone was walking down the hall.

Bella's head turned towards the door of her room. Raising her other hand, a soft click was heard as the door was locked from the inside. Bella returned her attention back to me. Her arm still rose toward me, I realized then that she was keeping me pinned against the wall with invisible restraints.

"It stopped bleeding… are you okay, or should I continue to hold you there?" Bella whispered with a voice barely audible.

"Yes, I'm fine," I snapped. She may have stopped bleeding but the scent was stronger than ever. So sweet… so _damn_ sweet.

"Liar, I can read your thoughts. You may have hesitated when you called out my name, but you're still thinking about it. I'm going to open the window and throw you out. As soon as your feet touch the ground, _run_," Bella instructed as I growled in response, the monster within me roaring to be set free.

_I love you, Bella__._ A memory played through my mind from Bella's point of view, from her own thoughts. The look on my face, as I uttered those words, was of pure love and adoration.

Shame washed over me. Such a tender moment now marred by my blood lust. I could see the window slowly opening, the afternoon breeze wafting throughout the room. As soon as the window was fully opened I was thrown out the second-story window.

My feet touched the ground, and I ran. I ran until I found the first grouping of rabbits, a poor substitute for the sweet blood that called to me. Her blood called to me every time I was in the same room with her.

I loved her, but it wasn't enough… and this had proved it. I replayed the vision that Bella had had before she'd ripped the IV from her hand. It was so fast, but it was enough… she had seen me attack and kill her. She saw me unable to live with what I'd done to her… She saw me dead, burning. Then I saw her stopping me with a new gift, telekinesis.

If it wasn't for my one moment of hesitation, Bella wouldn't have had the time to act to protect herself. She was getting more powerful with every passing hour. She didn't need me. She could protect herself now. She could take care of herself. She no longer needed me to plague her life.

My phone vibrated in my pants pocket. I brought the phone to my ear.

"Edward, you can't leave her. I had another vision. If you choose to leave her, she'll die in a few months, having been attacked by James," Alice said from the other end of the line. I cringed and growled.

_Is there no end to my anguish?_

"After you leave, she will choose not to use any of her powers, and she won't use them against James, because she wants to die," Alice pleaded on the other end of the line.

"I understand…" I hung up the phone, so many emotions washed over me. She would rather die than live without me. I felt the same, but I knew I would go on as long as she was still part of this world.

For now, I would stay. To protect her, to love her, but I had to put up boundaries to make sure something like this never happened again. I'd been wrong to think that I could touch her or kiss her without any risks and consequences. I had to be not only careful of my actions, but also her actions.

I ran back to the hospital to stand just outside Bella's window. I was gone for over an hour and whatever had happened after I had left, there seemed to be no one but Bella and her doctor in the room. I made my way into the hospital, going just past the nurses' station, when Bella's doctor stepped out of her room.

"Edward, how long ago did you leave?" The doctor's voice was dripping with concern. I could see his mind showing scenes of while he had been making his rounds. He had wanted to check on Bella when he had found her unconscious with her IV pulled out of her vein and her equipment turned off.

"A little over an hour ago, Doctor… Is there something wrong?" I tried to read his thoughts, but he was thinking about her medical chart.

"I was making my rounds when I decided to check on her, and she was unconscious her IV and monitors and sensors removed her body. Her blood pressure and heart rate were very low," the doctor indicated, looking at Bella's chart. "It may be an infection, with all those injuries… I guess that it's possible. It's just that for all the readouts for the past few hours, she was so strong. It's like she… had just been drained of her energy." Shaking his head, he looked at her charts. "Do you know when her parents will return?"

"They will be here soon. They were planning on saying goodbye before they leave to get things in order back at work and home," I explained, listening for Bella's thoughts. I listened to her heartbeat, and it was weak.

"I'll be back in a while. Then, talk to them. Have the nurses call me if her condition changes." Bella's doctor left, still trying to understand her chart.

I walked swiftly into Bella's room and walked slowly towards her. Her breathing was slow and shallow. I brushed a fingertip across her cheek.

"Edward…" Bella said.

In a whisper, seeking my own voice I answered, "I'm here, Bella." I touched her cheek again.

Bella's eyes started to flutter, trying to open. "Bella, just sleep... I'll be right here."

_Are you alright?_Bella thought, and even in my mind, her voice was as quiet as a whisper.

"Bella, you need to stop using your powers. I think that's what is making you so weak," I whispered into her ear. Bella sighed and opened her eyes.

"I think so, too. Just after you left, I felt like the life had been sucked out of me," Bella whispered, her eyes looking into my own.

"That's a nice way to put it. I was thrown out remember?" I said bitterly. I wasn't angry at her. I was angry at our impossible situation. It was a situation that could only cause pain in the long run.

"Edward, you thought about it, that moment was enough to stop you. When I released you… you could have jumped right back in," Bella whispered, her eyes searching for mine. "But you didn't. You chose to run. It was my fault… I was the idiot that ripped my IV out. Please don't beat up yourself over it."

"I can't help it. I have put you in danger since the day I met you." I sighed in frustration. "Ever since you came into contact with vampires, you've been in constant danger."

"That's not true, Edward. I am accident prone and a trouble magnet. I have had so many more broken bones, cuts, scrapes and burns than most people endure in their whole lives. I've been admitted to a hospital several times. Meeting you and your family isn't the catalyst." Bella shook her head slightly and sighed, replaying a vision in her head.

"I saw what you would've done if you had killed me." Bella's eyes were brimming with tears, her tone firm. "Why would you do such a thing, Edward? You still have all your family." Bella's tone turned angry.

"You're one to talk. Alice told me what you would have done if I'd chosen to leave," I snapped right back at her. Tears fell from Bella's eyes and as she looked away. I sighed. Now I was causing her more pain.

"So, I guess you're staying because you feel guilty," Bella mumbled, wiping her tears from her cheek.

"Yes... no... My guilt is not the only reason, Bella. Yes, I feel guilty that you feel so strongly about me, that you would let yourself die, but I love you too much to just walk away. I'm a selfish creature… I need you so much… I need _this_ so much." Leaning down, I pressed my lips lightly against hers.

"Romeo and Juliet have nothing on us," Bella chuckled as I pulled away. Shaking my head, I sat in the chair near Bella's bed.

"I'm starting to believe that too. Your parents should be here soon. Esme is supposed to bring them to say goodbye."

"I hate goodbyes," Bella complained.

"Well, suck it up, because they are on their way in." I smiled at her and she scowled at me, her eyebrows and nose scrunching adorably.

Bella composed her face and blushed. I realized then that she had heard my thoughts. That could be annoying. Now I knew how my family reallyfelt.

"I don't know how you put up with all the thoughts. I'm blocking myself for a while. Hopefully that takes less energy than using my powers."

"That's probably a good idea," I said, taking a seat in the chair closest to her bed. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, a little. The pain isn't so bad anymore." Bella smiled, trying to hide the fact she was lying.

"Bella," I warned.

"I'll wait until I see my parents before I get some more medication," she said in soft voice.

"Good, because here they come..."

"Bella, honey, we're here," Renée said, entering the room with a couple of food containers, Charlie and Esme right behind her. "I stopped and grabbed some hamburgers and some cola. I'm sure the hospital food is dreadful." I wrinkled my nose slightly. The smell from the food was dreadful. I heard Bella trying to stifle a chuckle.

_Your __nose scrunches really adorably too._

_Bella, what happened to not using your powers?_ I complained, giving Bella a glare.

"Sorry," Bella whispered in a barely audible voice.

Renée started pulling out packages and straws, putting everything on a rolling table.

I passed on food, saying I wasn't hungry. I watched Bella interacting with her parents, fascinated with their relationship. Bella was more of a parent to both of them than they were to her. She didn't allow them to baby her, and she did not like them spending money.

_Edward… Emmett and Rosalie took the jeep back home, your father is taking the same flight as Charlie__, _Esme thought, looking at Bella with a smile._ Alice and Jasper took a flight to New Hampshire. They left the car. I'm going to have your car door fixed tomorrow morning._

I nodded slightly. After about an hour, Bella's parents said their goodbyes, agreeing to meet Bella when she left the hospital the following week.

Esme left with Bella's parents to pick up my father and head to the airport.

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about some of Bella's childhood memories back in Phoenix. When I asked about past boyfriends, she said that she'd tried dating boys her age and had failed miserably as they found her intimating. Not because of her quiet demeanour, but because of her intelligence. There had been a few first dates, but never more than that. She admitted that she'd never attended a school dance. She said it wasn't her thing. There were too many chances for bad spills, crashing embarrassments and broken toes. I felt relieved that no one else had kissed her besides me. But at the same time, I felt that she was settling for me. I noticed the scowl on her face when my thoughts betrayed me, but she quickly changed the subject.

Then the subject of how old I really was came up again. She took it in stride, like it was no big deal.

Shortly after six in the evening, Bella was visited by the mayor of Chicago and Marshall Cortez.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in having my face plastered all over TV or newspapers," Bella complained. "I don't need any medal or award. I did what any other person would've done."

"Bella… what you did was above and beyond what any other person would have done. You deserve this," Marshall Cortez said, shaking his head. "We managed to keep you out of the papers since the crash, but the survivors are talking now. The media knows about you."

"I will not go out and put myself in public display when I'm looking like this. If you insist, you can release some kind of statement and a small picture of…" Bella trailed off, her eyes glazed over. She was having a vision. She snapped out of it quickly, but she was blocking it from me.

"Please, David… I don't like attention," Bella pleaded, her eyes glistening with tears and her bottom lip trembling.

"Can we agree on some kind of a small ceremony in a month, over in New Hampshire at least?" the mayor suggested, looking at Bella warily.

Bella sighed. "Yes, we can do that, but no TV cameras."

Shortly after that, the mayor and the Marshall left. I looked at Bella, who seemed lost in thought.

"Who are the Volturi?" Bella asked, looking at me. My eyes widened.

"Why, Bella?" _Please tell me she didn't see them coming._

"If I had agreed to the televised award ceremony, I would've been exposed because you and your family are there," Bella whispered. "We would've had a visit from Jane, Demetri and Felix."

"Are you sure that it still won't happen?"

"Yes, I think so. Once I refused, the future changed. It just looks hazy right now."

"I take it the vision didn't end very well."

"_No_. Jane was hurting you," she fidgeted with her hands before continuing. "I managed to absorb her gift and gave her a taste of her own medicine, along with the other two," Bella said, clearly hiding something.

"Bella…" I whispered, my eyes pleading for her to continue. She sighed and averted her warm eyes.

"After the attack and their retreat, I died. Her gift and all the others' ruptured my aneurysm. I don't think you could save me in time."

"So, we have to keep you out of the public eye," I surmised.

"It's probably wise," Bella whispered, looking back at me.

"I'll talk to Carlisle. There might be something that he can do," I said, hoping we could prevent any involvement from the Volturi. I had never met them, but from what Carlisle had told me, I knew that it would not be good for them to know about Bella.

"Like royalty, to police the vampire community," Bella mumbled, tapping her chin, lost in her thoughts and apparently my thoughts too.

"Bella, stop using your powers," I scolded.

"You didn't answer my question. I wanted to know," Bella stated, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Bella, you are already in a weak state. You need to let yourself heal." I pressed the button on her bed for the nurse.

Bella's eyes narrowed. "I don't want to go to sleep."

"Bella, I'm going to be right here with you all night. Please, just sleep." Bella shook her head, tears falling from her eyes.

"Don't be difficult, Bella," I said sternly, just as the nurse walked in.

"Can I help you, sweetie?" the nurse asked, looking at Bella. Apparently, Bella reminded her of her granddaughter.

"She's ready for some more pain medication, so she can sleep," I said as Bella scowled, folding her arms across her chest carefully.

"Good, I'll be right back." The nurse left and returned, administering some medication into her IV.

"She'll be asleep in a little while. Visiting hours end in an hour, son," the nurse reminded me. I simply nodded as she left.

"You're not leaving, are you?" Bella looked at me, her bottom lip slightly trembling.

"No, I'll sneak right back in," I whispered, stroking her cheek.

"Promise?" Bella said, her words slurring.

"I promise. Now, sleep, my angel. I love you."

"I love you. Kiss?" On Bella's lips, a small smile appeared. I chuckled, leaning in and kissing her gently on her soft lips. Bella hummed in pleasure, earning another chuckle from me.

We spent the rest of the week without many incidents. We spent most of the time shopping on the internet for her house, much to her displeasure. We read a few books, listened to music, watched movies on her new laptop, not that she liked the fact that I had bought it for her, either. We found out that we had so many similar tastes in many things. I was finding more and more reasons to love her.

Bella refrained from using any of her powers, and it helped. She was healing faster than believed possible. Instead of ten days, it was a week.

But refraining from using her powers seemed to cause some kind of "built-up" energy or something. On more than one occasion, I had to wake her up so that she would stop levitating objects in the room while she slept.

The doctor gave us the news that Bella could leave the next morning. Alice had already foreseen this and was having Bella's parents flying in to Chicago that morning.

"Morning, Bells." Charlie gave Bella a one-armed hug while Bella sat in a wheelchair, ready to leave.

"Hey, Dad… where's Mom?" Bella asked, she seemed to be struggling to keep her face composed.

"Right here, Bella," her mother exclaimed behind a large bouquet of flowers and balloons. "Oh, Mom… you didn't have to get me anything," Bella whined as Charlie greeted me with a firm handshake.

"I wanted to, honey. Come on, let's get you in the car," Renée said, giving Bella a kiss on her forehead. I pushed the wheelchair out of the room and walked along the hall.

"I still don't like the idea of you in the car for so long," Charlie said, concerned for Bella's pain.

"Dad, I told you before… I am not flying for a while. Besides, Edward's car is here, and he needs to drive over there, anyway," Bella grumbled. "In fact, you and Mom should've just flown straight to New Hampshire."

"We are, Bells. This is just a stop." Charlie shrugged. I think he was more worried about the fact that I would be on the road with her.

"I'll be fine. I'll be with Edward and Esme," Bella said, looking at me, her brow furrowing. I was trying to hide something from her. I shook my head no, and she glared. She knew I was lying as I recited one of Jasper's civil war journals in my mind.

Bella said her goodbyes to some of the nurses, doctors and the Marshall, who had come to see her off. She hated every minute of it. We walked out to the parking lot, a light breeze blowing her hair.

_What __are you hiding from me, Edward? _Bella thought with a firm tone. I shook my head slightly.

Esme pulled up in a brand new dark blue Audi with a large red bow on top of it. Jasper and Alice pulled up in my Volvo behind the Audi. Bella's eyes narrowed on my family as they exited the vehicles.

"Surprise, Bella!" Alice said, bouncing up to Bella, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"What is that?" Bella's tone was angry, and she was not hiding it well. Her brow furrowed, and she bit her lip.

"Umm… your father mentioned that you needed a car for school and work, so I umm… got you one." I stumbled for words, awaiting the oncoming onslaught of complaints.

"_That…_ is not mine," Bella stated firmly.

"Of course it is. Silly Bella," Alice chimed as Jasper sent calming waves to Bella.

Charlie and Renée were looking inside the car, and Charlie let out a whistle. Bella's anger got the best of her. She flung her hand and the bow flew off.

"Whoa! That must've been one heck of a wind," Charlie said, watching the bow fly farther away. Renée and Charlie ran after the bow.

I leaned in, my lips grazing Bella's ear. "Calm down, Bella. You shouldn't be using your powers."

Bella's car doors slammed closed, and the car tires were beginning to leave the pavement. Alice's eyes widened and looked at Jasper. Jasper ran to Bella's side and placed his hand on her shoulder. Bella's eyes drooped, and the car settled back onto the ground.

Bella's parents didn't notice anything, since they were being greeted by the Marshall on the other side of the parking lot.

A sob escaped from Bella's lips. "What the hell am I?" Bella whispered, taking her face in her hands. "I'm no longer human, I'm not a vampire. Where do I fit? No one would want me if they knew about me. They'd run." Bella sobbed. "What am I… but broken?"

* * *

**AN: Thanks lisa89, you are the best with all your help.**


	9. Going Home and First Day

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Nine – Going Home and First Day**

* * *

We managed to get on the road to New Hampshire after Jasper had managed to get Bella to fall asleep. I rode in the backseat with her as Esme drove Bella's new car.

I knew she would be upset that I had spent money on her, but I'd had no idea that she would be this upset. The more I analyzed all her previous lapses I was beginning to think that her powers seemed to be tied to her emotions. She was approaching a supernatural level of power and fast. She would get noticed if she didn't learn to control them.

The drive to Dartmouth normally took sixteen hours, but at the speed Esme and Jasper were driving they would get us there before Bella's parents' plane touched the ground, so we had time to kill.

"Bella, we're going to stop to get you something to eat," I whispered in her ear about six hours into our trip. She'd been laying her head on my lap and remained quiet since she'd woken up. She had been refusing to talk to me.

"What would you like to eat?" I asked, playing with a strand of her soft hair.

Bella closed her eyes, and the navigation screen on the dashboard turned on, displaying the directions to a local diner. Esme looked at me through the rearview mirror.

_She can manipulate computers now?_

I had a feeling that she'd already been able to do this. Carlisle had already thought that she had done something to the computer equipment and the MRI machine… it was logical, in a way. Then, the night I had almost attacked her, she'd caused the power outage. Her increased brain activity would most likely increase her natural abilities and give her new ones.

_I can't see what's going to happen anymore. She's blocking me. _I heard Alice's thoughts as we pulled into the diner's parking lot several minutes later.

"Bella, stop blocking Alice," I said, pulling her up into a sitting position. "We need to make sure that everything is going to be fine if we go into the diner." Bella nodded and seconds later, Alice opened Bella's door.

"Everything will be fine. Come on, Bella. Let's get you something to eat," Alice chimed, wrapping her arm across Bella's shoulders.

I quickly stepped out of the car and glared at Alice, taking her place and holding Bella. Alice frowned and pouted slightly before sticking out her tiny pink tongue at me.

"Not all of you need to come. Alice, if you go three doors down, you'll find a vintage pair of black pumps in your size…" Bella paused for a moment, her eyes glazed over.

"Esme, one more door down is an antique shop where you'll find an early eighteenth-century table that you'll love for the living room. Jasper, go with Alice and you'll find something there… but Alice won't let you buy it because it clashes with the bedroom wall color," Bella stated, looking at everyone and waiting for them to leave.

_Go, I need to speak to Edward… alone, _I read from Alice's thoughts as Bella communicated with her silently.

_Good luck, man,_ Jasper thought, taking Alice's hand.

_It will be okay, Edward, _Alice assured me before allowing Jasper to pull her along.

_We'll be back in an hour, _Esme thought, touching my shoulder before walking down the street.

"Bella –"

"Don't. I'm hungry. So, first food, and then we'll talk," Bella mumbled, wincing slightly from putting too much weight on her ankle. I helped her into the diner and sat beside her in a red vinyl-covered booth.

A waitress with a short dark hair approached our booth, her eyes widening when she looked at me. I internally cringed, knowing Bella could most likely hear the fantasies she was coming up with. I was used to this, but Bella was not.

"Hello. My name is Vanessa. What can I get you to drink?" Vanessa directed the question to me, ignoring Bella.

I looked at Bell, my previous assumptions proven right – Bella's eyes were narrow and intense. "Bella?" I asked, hoping to calm her down. The waitress looked at Bella with a small frown on her face.

"I'll have a coke with just an order of fries, please." Bella's tone was firm.

"And you?" Vanessa asked me with a smile.

"Just a coke," I answered, not taking my eyes off Bella. She was still glaring daggers towards the waitress.

"Coming right up," she said, but I wasn't really paying attention, as my eyes were still on Bella. I heard the waitress leave, her thoughts dissatisfied. As she walked away, Bella's eyes were still on the waitress who then stumbled. Bella smirked.

"Bella…" I warned her.

"She was being rude," Bella said in a sweet, innocent tone. I cocked an eyebrow, giving her the disapproving look that Esme usually reserved for Emmett.

"Don't look at me that way. I'm sure you don't like what the man with the red baseball cap has been thinking about me since the minute we came in. If you could, you would do the same thing," Bella stated matter-of-factly.

She was right, and I hated to admit it. Since we'd come in, the man had been thinking about Bella's backside. She was wearing a pair of blue yoga pants with a matching hooded jacket that were form-fitting.

"Ugh… is my butt really that round?" Bella whispered so softly that I didn't think she'd intended me to hear it.

I bit back a laugh. I leaned in so that I could whisper in her ear, "Yes." Bella's eyes widened, and she blushed. She shook her head the color in her cheeks becoming brighter.

"I can't believe you'd just said that," she grumbled. "I don't know what's more embarrassing, knowing you looked or your opinion of what you've seen." I chuckled.

"You don't usually wear clothes like this. You have to remember that I've seen you in a pair of loose jeans, a pair of shorts and a hospital gown. That's all."

"Alice has a closet full of clothes like this for me, and now I can read minds." Bella's tone disapproving. "I think I was better off not knowing what the others think."

"You have no idea…" I laughed darkly. "Are you trying to block the others out, or are you having trouble doing it?"

"I can block them out easily enough, now. At least, I've been doing it for the past few minutes. It doesn't take as much energy as it used to."

Just then, the waitress came back with the two cokes and Bella's fries. "Isn't there anything I can get you?" she asked me while my eyes were on Bella.

"No, thank you." I answered quickly as Bella's eyes narrowed again, but then she grabbed the ketchup bottle and started eating her fries. The waitress left the check and walked away without another stumble.

"Mmm… thank you. I needed this," Bella said, licking a fingertip. Bella's face scrunched up slightly in thought. "I'm curious… what do you do if you have to eat in front of someone?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "You're always curious." I grabbed a fry, really not wanting to eat it but to satisfy her curiosity I would. Making sure she was watching, I slowly brought the fry to my mouth, but she suddenly had a smirk on her lips.

I bit down, and the sense of taste I felt then was overwhelming. I could actually taste the saltiness, the crispness of the fry and the texture. It tasted amazing. The shock must've been apparent on my face, because Bella was in a fit of giggles.

"What did you do?" I asked, reaching out for another fry, but Bella stopped me.

"I gave your mind the memory of how it tasted to me, so you could experience it. But if you keep eating them, you'll get sick later. Trust me." Bella smiled at me, proud of herself.

_She's right. You'll be sick once we get on the road and ruin Bella's backseat. _Alice's thoughts ran across my mind.

Bella kept eating for a few minutes before talking again. "Okay, this conversation is safe here. Under no circumstances are you allowed to buy me any more gifts for the next five years. That thing you bought must have been over forty thousand dollars. If you make that promise, I promise to use it," Bella said,h er chin jutting out, waiting for answer.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes._ Doe she really have to be so stubborn?_

"But your birthday is coming up," I complained with a mock pout.

"Consider it my birthday gift."

I smiled, thinking I could still get her a Christmas gift. Then she squashed that.

"And a Christmas gift, a Valentine's gift, our anniversary gift and any other holiday you'll find an excuse to lavish me with gifts for." Bella listed each one on her fingers.

"Fine," I grumbled. She had me there. I would have to comply for now, but she had to get used to getting nice things, since Esme and Alice were moving here.

About thirty minutes later, we were back on the road. Bella's head was on my shoulder while we sat in the backseat again.

We pulled up in front of Bella's house a few hours later. Her house was pale brown with dark brown accents. There was a driveway that led to a garage at the back left side of the house. Esme parked the car just in front of the garage door.

Bella's parents had called earlier letting us know they had arrived and would be waiting for us. They were already waiting outside for us when we had pulled up. Before I could get Bella out of the car, her mother was there to greet her with an embrace. "Bella, you must be so tired, let's get you inside."

"Mom, I'm fine, really," Bella mumbled. She really hated it when people fussed over her. Charlie walked over to Bella, giving her an awkward hug, while Renee was still holding her.

"Did you get something to eat on the way here?" Charlie asked, his thoughts on whether we'd taken good care of his little girl.

"Yes, Char… – Dad, it was a long drive," Bella said, wincing, her eyes closing shut from the pain.

"Bella, are you alright?" I asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Liar, you're in pain again," I lightly scolded. "My family and I will go get your prescription while your parents help you settle in."

Bella nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, but can you help me inside first?"

"Of course." I smiled at her before sweeping her up and carrying her inside. Bella rolled her eyes at me before wrapping her arms around my neck.

Renee walked in front of us, opening the front door. Her thoughts were rather colorful after my little display of strength. _He makes it look like Bella weighs less than a feather. _Bella gasped suddenly, when I walked in the house with her still in my arms and placed her on the sofa.

"Alice," Bella whispered icily.

I chuckled. My sister had decided to completely decorate and fully furnish Bella's new house. Bella's eyes narrowed and glared at me.

"I'll be back with your prescription in an hour. We'll also pick something up for you and your parents for dinner." I smiled, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek, aware that Charlie was watching.

"Fine, let me get you some money, then," Bella said, grabbing her purse.

"No need to, Bella," I said and walked away, fully aware of the death glare she was giving me.

_You're doing it again,_ Bella thought as I reached the front door.

_Get used to it, _I countered.

_Ugh… fine, but I don't like it._

I chuckled as I made my way outside to my family, who was waiting in my car. _I know. I love you._

_I know._

We returned an hour later and brought them ribs for dinner. My family and I left to give them some privacy. Both of Bella's parents were leaving early in the morning with Esme to the airport. Neither could stay with their work schedules, and Alice reassured them that she was staying to help Bella until she felt better. Bella had told me that she was leaving her bedroom window open so that I could come over later that night.

It had been hours since I'd been with her, and my body was already beginning to ache from the departure. I went to Bella's backyard and heard Charlie's snores coming from one of the guest bedrooms, and Renee was already dreaming. I quickly opened the window and stepped through, and Bella was sitting in bed.

"Hi." She blushed and then looked down. I strode across the room and gave her a tender kiss before sitting in a chair across from her.

_Why are you sitting over there?_ she asked through her thoughts.

_Bella, you know why._

_I'm not bleeding now. Come lay with me please._

I shook my head. I didn't want to tempt myself again.

_Nothing is going to happen. I'm used to you holding my hand when I sleep._

I sighed. So was I.

_Fine, but no funny business. _I chuckled.

I pulled the covers over her body and lay on top of them, wrapping my arms around her waist.

_Much better,_ she thought with a smile on her face.

_I agree, now go to sleep._

_I wanted to ask you something._

_What… something that we haven't discussed yet? I teased a bit._

_No, forget it. I changed my mind. _She blushed and averted her eyes.

_Bella, you can ask me anything, _I thought, squeezing her hip gently.

She didn't say or think anything further, and I groaned. She knew how frustrating it was not to be able to read her thoughts.

_Sorry, it's just that your family are …umm… couples. I was wondering if they are like other married couples._

My body stiffened slightly. This was a subject I hoped she'd never ask about, especially since she could read my mind at will. I started going over a Biology101 textbook before she read my thoughts.

_Edward?_

I sighed in defeat. _Yes, I suppose in that way it is. They have the same human desires, hidden just behind the more powerful desires._

_Oh._

She didn't say anything further, and now my curiosity was piqued. I wanted to know her experience in this matter.

_I'm curious now… have you ever… _I trailed off.

Bella flushed and shook her head no. I sighed in relief.

_That's nice. We have another thing in common._

Bella smiled at me. _I'm curious, do your human instincts, you know, find me desirable? _Bella flushed again and closed her eyes.

I laughed silently. _I may not be human, Bella, but I am a man. You're too desirable for your own good.'_

_That's good to know. Since I see you plan to be a gentleman._

What could she have meant by that? She didn't say anything further and closed off her mind. I felt that this conversation was far from over.

_Sleep now, Bella. _Bella snuggled closer, her head on my chest. I took in the scent of her hair and inhaled deeply before kissing it lightly.

_Goodnight, Edward. I love you,_ she murmured in her thoughts.

_I know._

Bella slept soundly for most of the night. But a few hours before dawn, she started mumbling my name. She kept saying "the thing" in disgust. A few times she whispered that she loved me. My heart soared at the thought that she was dreaming of me. But quite suddenly, those whispered thoughts turned to moans. Her body kept squirming and things like "feels so good" and "more" started leaving her lips. It didn't take a genius to know what she was dreaming about. I leapt out of bed, fighting the urge to run my hands and lips all over her body.

I sat in the chair in the corner of her room and watched from afar, fascinated. She moved her body continuously for well over a half an hour before finally settling, the blanket twisted up in her legs. I closed my eyes in relief, running my hands through my hair in frustration. I heard a small thud suddenly. I opened my eyes, and they widened at the sight.

Bella was levitating, her body laying on her ceiling. I slowly made my way to the bed, my eyes still on her. She was still asleep.

I didn't know how to approach this. If I woke her, she could scream, alerting her parents. They would enter the room and see her like this.

"Bella, wake up," I whispered, reaching for her cheek, which was just within reach. She didn't stir.

"Bella, love, you need to wake up." My whisper was just a little louder and firmer. My mind was making sure that Charlie and Renee were still asleep.

Bella's eyes started to flutter open. She blinked a few times, and then her eyes widened in horror. I put my finger to my lips, reminding her to be quiet.

_Get me down, _she screamed in my head.

I nodded and stood on the soft mattress. I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards me. She came easily enough, but when I let her go for a moment, she went back up. I shook my head and pulled her again, wrapping my arms around her waist. We settled on the bed with her lying on top of me, my arms wrapped around her tightly. I could feel the "pull" that was trying to make her levitate.

Bella's heart was beating quickly, and I felt tears falling from her eyes.

"_Please_, don't let me go," she whispered.

"Never," I whispered back as the invisible force started to dissipate.

The next morning I managed to leave and come right back through the front door with Esme. Bella said her goodbyes to her parents and promised to call tomorrow with the details of her first day of school, which was the next night.

Jasper and Alice came later that day, and we tested some of Bella's powers. With guidance from Carlisle, we were trying to get her to control them. He recommended that they set up a full lab for Bella when she came to visit in Forks, including an MRI to see if her brain activity was increasing.

I left her to her privacy as Alice helped her take a shower and change her bandages around her abdomen and chest.

We spent the night together again, and the same events repeated themselves. She cried herself to sleep in my arms after I'd gotten her off the ceiling.

Bella woke up the following morning with a perfect, content, happy face on the surface. She refused to talk about what was happening to her.

Today was our first day of classes, which were to start later that evening. We shared our first class together. We went through the day like before, just getting to know each other a little better and testing her powers. Alice came by a couple of hours before class and started to help Bella get ready.

I left to give Bella privacy and to fight the temptation of reading Alice's thoughts while she helped Bella get ready. I didn't need that mental image to break my resolve on keeping the boundaries I was already struggling to keep up.

I arrived twenty minutes before class started to help Bella get to class. She was still unable to drive and refused to let me carry her to the campus, so we took her Audi and parked in the student parking lot. Bella limped beside me, wincing here and there.

"Bella, you're in pain. Let me carry you," I complained.

"No, that will just make people notice me faster," Bella stated, her eyes scanning the campus.

"People are still going to notice you," I said, looking at her cheeks flush. "You look absolutely breathtaking right now, so I'm sure you'll catch plenty of boys' eyes."

"Ugh, don't start that again," Bella complained. I shook my head. She really didn't see herself clearly.

We finally made it to the class, and I had to help Bella down the steps, and I took a seat towards the middle. Bella pulled out her syllabus and her laptop. I rolled my eyes.

"You don't have to take notes… I will remember everything, remember?"

"Yes, I know. But I need to practice for all the classes we don't have together."

"In a week's time, we'll have all our classes together."

"Edward, you don't have to do that. Don't change your major for me."

"Well, I've never gotten a degree in English Literature. So, where's the harm in that?" Bella rolled her eyes as the professor entered the classroom.

Professor Blake introduced himself and went over the syllabus and the book list, when suddenly Bella started typing furiously on her laptop.

I watched as she typed well over one hundred ninety words per minute, her eyes staring ahead, blank and devoid of any emotion.

"Bella…" I whispered in her ear. Bella did not respond. I looked at the screen and noticed that she was writing what seemed like computer code. I noticed some students around me taking notice of Bella's behavior.

I stroked Bella's cheek, hoping to capture her attention. She stopped and she shook her head. She looked over to me and then back to the screen. She pressed a few more keys, and a picture came up. I stared at it. There on the screen was a picture of Bella and me lying on blanket in the middle of tall grass and wildflowers, the sun shining and my skin shimmering, nude.

Bella closed the screen quickly and blushed, ten shades of red coloring her cheeks. She closed her eyes. I didn't even know what to say. The picture was accurate as far as my body was concerned, so I wondered if it was a picture of the future. There was no way I was going to forget that image for as long as I lived.

Several minutes passed, and Bella still refused to look at me, blocking her mind from me. I watched as tears streamed slowly down her cheeks. Then I noticed that she was not the only one. All around us, there were students crying, all of them hit with overwhelming sadness. Most of them thinking of lost loves and lost family members.

Bella's powers were tied to her emotions, and she was causing this.

I leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Bella, please tell me what's wrong."

_I'm fine, Edward, _Bella thought, letting me read her thoughts again.

_I know you're lying. Look around you._

Bella looked around, her eyes widening in confusion and then in comprehension.

_I can't seem to control it. _Her thoughts were all over the place, visions coming and changing with every passing moment.

_We need to leave, _I thought._ Class is almost over._

_

* * *

_

**AN: Thanks to lisa89 for all your help with this chapter.**


	10. Emotions

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Ten – Emotions**

* * *

I looked over to Bella, tears still streaming down her rosy cheeks as she packed up her laptop and notebook. She closed her eyes for a moment, and suddenly there was the loud shrill of a fire alarm outside the building.

"Class, we need to leave. Please exit in an orderly fashion, using both exits. See you all Wednesday," Professor Blake said while gesturing to the exit behind him. The students all around us started getting up and filing out of the room.

"Edward, hold on to me. I feel the pull again," Bella warned me. I grabbed her by her waist and threw her bag over my shoulder along with my own. The pull was stronger than it had ever been. We managed to make it outside, but the pull became even stronger. I had to act fast. I was aware that she was wearing a short skirt that Alice had forced on her. No one was looking at us, so I carried Bella bridal style and ran to a vacant classroom.

I ran to each door with Bella locked within my grasp and locked them both. "Are you okay, Bella?"

"I need a distraction," Bella gasped, her head resting in the crook of my neck. The pull was very powerful, and I started to feel that I was not strong enough to hold on to her. I did the only I could think of to distract her.

I put Bella's bare legs around my waist, and she let out a little gasp, surprised at my quick movements. I smirked, looking at her eyes, her face level with my own. She wrapped her arms around my neck, my own wrapped around her waist.

"How this for a distraction?" I asked, giving her a smile.

"Hmm…nope, it's not working. I can still feel the pull." Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, really?" I said, playing along with her. "How's this?" I kissed the corner of her lips, working my way to the middle before pressing my lips to hers with a little more pressure. Bella's hands intertwined in my hair. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensations that her warm, soft lips brought forth. I knew I had to stop.

The last time I'd gone too far had almost caused me to kill her. I started to pull away, but Bella decided to lick my bottom lip, sending me into a frenzy. I met her tongue with my own and sucked on it slightly. _God, the taste is amazing. _Bella moaned softly as a sound escaped from me. Bella pulled away quickly, looking at me intently.

"Did you just purr?" Bella asked, barely containing her laughter.

"Did I?" Bella nodded, smiling somewhat smugly.

"I've never done that before." If I could blush, I was sure I would have at this moment. Bella's laughter filled the room, but her movements were doing things to me that were undermining my control. Her laughter was causing her hips to grind against me. Bella stopped abruptly. Her eyes widened, and she unlocked her legs from around my waist.

"Sorry." Bella blushed, and her eyes were downcast.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Bella. This is all new for both of us," I whispered to her, placing my finger on her chin so that she would look at me. I gave her a chaste kiss.

"At least I'm not flying. How late are we for our next class?" Bella inquired.

"We're not late yet." I winked, pulling her up in my arms, and I dashed out of the classroom to our next class, stopping behind a large bush. It was a good thing it was dark already – no one was able to see us coming.

We found seats in the middle of the classroom, and Bella opted not to use her laptop and settled for the old-fashioned pen and paper. Bella crossed her beautiful legs at her ankles, lady-like. Then she started rubbing her thighs with her hands.

_Is she trying to kill me?_ My fists clenched against my sides, trying not to think about what she was doing.

"I'm cold. Alice just had to put me in a skirt," Bella grumbled, still trying to warm up. I noticed someone at the door with his thoughts suddenly on Bella.

_Damn! Those are some nice pair of legs. I bet she has an ass to match. Wonder if the guy sitting beside her is her boyfriend? Only one way to find out…_

The _boy_ started to come towards our row of desks. I leaned in to Bella's ear. "I love you," I whispered, my lips grazing her ear, and then I kissed her down to her neck.

_Shit, typical. All the hot ones are taken._

I smiled, but Bella cocked one of her eyebrows. I just smirked and shrugged my shoulders.

_Edward, you know better than to be jealous. No one will ever claim my heart but you. Now, stop distracting me before I give out that "feeling" to everyone in the room._

I stifled a laugh at the thought of a room full of love-induced students.

_That's not the "feeling" I was referring to. _I shuddered at her innuendo. I was going to have to have a talk with Alice, as she was obviously influencing my sweet Bella.

_No, she's not. _Bella whispered her thought.

I had to be mindful of my thoughts around Bella, especially when we kissed. I did not want her to know just how badly I wanted her. I didn't want her know just what I wanted to do to her. This train of thought was not helping, noticing the small smile on Bella's lips.

The class went on without incident, and no one else was thinking of my Bella inappropriately. We both had one more class each, but not together. I was worried that something might happen when I could not be there.

_We have already tested our abilities to "talk" great distances. I'll be able to call for help if there is a need. __Stop being all protective. I'll be fine. _

_I'm still carrying you to class. That ankle looks worse,_ I thought, looking over at her.

_I suppose I can let you. _She sighed internally and externally.

_Like I would give you have a choice, _I scoffed.

_Edward, you're pushing your luck, _Bella thought, rolling her eyes.

_Well, at least one of us has luck. _

She turned to glare at me, and then her eyes glazed over. She was having a vision of Alice glancing at a clock on the wall – nine-forty-five pm – and then opening the front door of Bella's house, a look of confusion apparent on her face. Then it went blank.

"What the hell does that mean?" I growled, fearing for the life of my sister and brother.

"It means that in exactly one hour and twelve minutes, the wolves will be paying her and Jasper a visit," Bella whispered, her voice barely audible.

I balked, my eyes widening. "How many?" I growled. I had to get Bella out of here. The thought of the volatile creatures within a mile of her was making my blood boil.

"I don't know, I can't see them. I'm giving Jasper and Alice a warning," Bella said, her eyes closed to concentrate for several minutes.

_Jasper said that they will not leave. It would cause the wolves to follow their trail,_ Bella thought. Her thoughts were confused and scared for my family.

_They'll be fine, Bella. We'll go back to your place once class is over. _I tried to assure her. I looked over to her, and she nodded.

It was obvious Bella was going to have to be present if we wanted to make sure the situation didn't escalate. They were coming to see her, likely looking for something that would trigger a war.

For the last ten minutes of class, we both were reading thoughts randomly to see if we could pick up the minds of the wolves. Bella gave me a memory of one of her last encounter of Jacob Black.

_**Memory of Thanksgiving vacation in Charlie's backyard**_

"_Bella, I'm sorry if I scared you."_

"_You didn't scare me, Jacob, more like surprised." Jacob was at the edge of the forest, watching Bella intently._

"_I just don't understand why you won't come live with your father." Jacob said as he trembled in place. "I thought you liked me.'_

"_I told you why, Jacob. I have a chance for a full scholarship if I continue with the program I'm currently in. They don't have anything like that here."_

"_Please tell me you have some of the same feelings, Bella."_

"_I won't lie to you, Jacob."_

The memory ended there, though I was sure there was more.

_Sorry, I wanted you to be able to hear his voice to help you find him. He told me once that he and his brothers share their thoughts together. _

I nodded in response, trying to keep myself calm. He was coming because he was jealous. That was the only thing that was bothering him, and I was a vampire.

We waited patiently until class was over and made our way to the car. I raced to her house and parked the car in the garage and carried Bella inside her house. Jasper and Alice were already alert. This would be their first encounter with these werewolves. Jasper had plenty of training and experience in battle, but not against this type of creature.

"Do we know how many are coming?" Jasper asked, his stance in front of Alice protective. Alice looked annoyed.

"Neither Alice nor Bella can see them coming, which means we're blind," I said.

"Relax, everyone, they just want to check up on me. I'm friends with mostly all of them," Bella said, sitting on the sofa and putting her ankle on top of a pillow.

"Edward, can you please be my icepack?" She smiled over at me. I laughed and sat with her, placing my hands gently on her ankle. She sighed as I soother her pain. I was happy to be of some comfort to her.

"Just act like you normally do when you have human company. Try to stay calm. I hear them already." Bella closed her eyes in concentration.

"Interesting…five them are coming. Sam the Alpha, Jacob, Quil, Embry and…Leah."

"Leah?" I questioned, one of my hands rubbing circles on her calf. I loved the silkiness and warmth of her skin.

"Yes, it looks like it's not just men, but women too." Bella shook her head in disbelief.

"Strange, I thought the transformation only occurred in the male descendants," Jasper expressed, taking a seat with Alice on his lap in a chair across from us.

"Apparently, so did they. She was a shock to the pack." Bella winced slightly in pain.

"What is it, Bella?" I asked, worried that she may need pain medication.

"Let's just say that none of their memories are private." Bella stiffened slightly. "Okay, they should be here soon. Let me take the lead with this. If there is a threat, you'll be the first to know."

Jasper shook his head and looked at Bella. She shrugged her shoulders. It was obvious that they were having a silent conversation. Jasper laughed before cocking an eyebrow in my direction.

"What?"

"I asked Bella how your first night in school was," Jasper explained, shaking his head slightly.

"It was good until Bella's vision," I said while still caressing Bella's calf.

"Well, I can tell you this, I'm quite impressed with Bella's range. Her mind reading and telepathic abilities have increased dramatically. She's surpassed you." I nodded in agreement.

Bella could be a force to be reckoned with. Someone outside of my family was bound to notice.

If that happened…then heaven help us.

Bella sighed and tried to stifle a yawn. She raised her hand, and the TV remote came to her hand. We'd been exploring her telekinesis, but it was still strange to watch. We sat, not really watching what was on the TV screen, just waiting. It felt like an eternity.

"They're here…" Bella giggled. I rolled my eyes at her.

The layout of Bella's house, the front door led straight to the living room, where we were all sitting. Jasper pulled Alice closer to her.

"Jasper, will you stop acting like I can't take care of myself?" Alice hissed.

"You are at a disadvantage, Alice," Jasper said calmly. "You can't use your visions to help you against them." Jasper gave her a small smile to which Alice just rolled her eyes.

We heard them approach. Bella didn't wait for them to knock. The door flew open with a wave of her hand. There before us were four russet-skinned males and one female. All the males were in nothing but shorts, and the female in a small top and shorts.

"Oh jeez, Jacob! Can't you at least put a shirt on?" Bella screamed, clapping a hand over her eyes.

"What, Bells, does my being half-naked bother you?" Jacob said with humor behind every word. I growled and glared at him.

"That's enough," Bella said, looking at me and then returning her attention to the pack.

"Everyone, this is Jasper Whitlock, Alice Cullen and Edward Cullen." Bella gestured to each of us.

"Everyone, this is Sam, Jacob, Quil, Embry and Leah. Five of the… wow…sixteen members of their pack," Bella said with a smile. The pack stiffened when she disclosed that she knew how many members they had.

"How…did you know?" Jacob asked, his voice cracking with apprehension.

"Edward here can read minds…" Bella trailed off. "So can I."

The pack stances changed, and trembling could be seen in their bodies.

"Relax," Bella said softly. "As you can see, I'm still human. The crash did something to my head. I was already different, since Edward can't read my mind unless I let him."

"Are you planning on letting them change you?" Jacob asked, his tone cold. "Charlie said that you and that…leech are together."

"I have something in my head that could kill me at any moment. If –"

"That doesn't change the fact they are not allowed to bite any humans," Jacob yelled, trying to step closer but was prevented to do so when Bella raised her hand.

"I didn't say that they were going to bite me, Jacob. Right now the transformation would kill me before it was complete."

"What the hell are you doing to us?" Sam said in confusion, since he was unable to move against Bella's invisible restraints.

"I also have other gifts. Are you willing to listen? If you are, I will release you. But I warn you, one move against me or Edward, and his family and I will act." Bella's tone was firm and strong, a confidence I had never seen in her before.

"Ha, like you can do anything to hurt us," Leah scoffed. Bella jumped up from the sofa, as did the others. I crouched in front of her protectively, Alice and Jasper beside me instantly. We looked at each other and then at the wolves. They couldn't move any longer.

Bella raised her other hand towards Leah, and she flew up to the ceiling. Leah's eyes were wide with fright.

"I will not hurt you unless you give me reason to," Bella said firmly and looked at Sam.

"Put her down and we will listen," Sam indicated, his eyes still on Leah's body on the ceiling. Bella placed Leah gently on her feet and nodded.

"The crash was indeed caused by a fight between Edward and another vampire. James was after me. Edward stopped him. If it weren't for him, I'd be dead and so would all the other passengers. He pulled me out of a burning plane and saved me. His family has managed to keep James from attacking again. I need your help."

"What can you possibly need from us?" Jacob said in disgust towards me and my family.

"James may try to get to Charlie," Bella's tone was pleading as she looked at Jacob.

"I won't let him get near him, Bella," Jacob said, his face softening when he saw the look on Bella's face.

"There's more. He may have others working with him – a female and another male."

"That will not pose a problem for us," Sam said with confidence in every word.

"Please coordinate your efforts on keeping my father safe in Forks with Carlisle until the rest of the Cullen family moves here." Bella said taking a step with her bad ankle, she winced. I was at her side in an instant. She raised her hand to stop me.

"Jacob, Sam, I know I'm probably scaring you with my powers, even though I'm human. Trust me, I'm scared too. But if it weren't for Edward, I would've floated in front of a room full of students. Stop thinking that they are going to hurt me. They are here to protect me."

_Bet you he's living here with her. _Jacob's thoughts betrayed him.

"I do not live with her, Jacob," I spat and glared at him. "Not that it's any of your business."

"But you admit you're with her," Jacob sneered in disgust, looking from Bella's eyes to mine.

"Yes, he is," Bella said. "And he's here to stay."

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**AN: beta'd by lisa89. Please review.**


	11. A Cry In The Night

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Eleven – A Cry in the Night**

* * *

I smiled a little. I couldn't help myself. Bella took a step back and stumbled. Jacob tried to help her before I could get to her.

"Don't touch me, Jacob!" she shrieked. We were all stunned, everyone wondering at why she would lash out that way.

"Sorry, it's just that I have no idea what would happen if you touch me, Jacob," Bella mumbled softly, a blush coloring her cheeks.

"What does that mean, Bella?" Jacob asked hurt by her words.

"I seem to absorb vampire powers. I have no idea if I would absorb yours. In other words, I might become werewolf number seventeen." I shuddered at the thought.

_Disgusting,_ Alice internally said cringing.

"What's wrong with that? It would cure what's wrong with your head," Jacob indicated, taking a step closer. I growled, wrapping my arms around Bella's waist and pulling her closer to me. Jacob glared at me.

"You have healing abilities?" Bella asked Jacob, who nodded in response. "No, it's still too much of a risk. First, the transformation would most likely rupture the aneurysm before any healing could happen. Second, I'm not one of you. It seems wrong. Third, I'm with Edward."

"Exactly my point. You'll become one of us, and…" Jacob trailed off.

"And what, Jacob, you and Bella get to live happily ever after?" I snarled, stepping back several steps with Bella still in my arms.

"No, Jacob," Bella said, a touch of finality to her tone. A thought flickered in Jacob's mind to just sprint to Bella and take her hand.

"Don't forget, mongrel, I can read minds," I reminded him. Jacob's eyes narrowed as his body trembled in anger and pre-transformation. He was having trouble controlling himself.

"You've already put her through enough danger. I can take care of her," Jacob growled, his hands clenched into tight fists.

"Do you think she's any safer with you? You're young. At anytime you could lash out and hurt her," I sneered just as a memory of Sam hurting his fiancée Emily came into his thoughts.

"I would never hurt her. Can you say the same, leech?" Jacob pointed out.

I sighed, he was right. As much as I would love to say that I would never hurt her, I knew that it was always a possibility.

"That's enough, you two. I can take care of myself." Bella huffed in annoyance, her lip pouting. She attempted to pull away from my embrace feebly, and I released her reluctantly.

"Bella, you can barely walk. Please sit down," I pleaded, looking at her ankle. With all the walking it looked so much worse.

"I said, I can take care of myself," Bella stated firmly, and then she levitated just inches from the floor. "See… no pressure on my foot," she snapped, her face flushed with anger. She hated being treated as if she was still a child.

Jacob's jaw dropped as he watched Bella slightly hover. "Freaky, Bella," he laughed, and Bella smiled, shaking her head.

"This is starting to get really strange. If you plan on changing her, have you thought of the consequences?" Sam stepped forward, watching me.

"Consequences?" Jacob repeated.

"Besides breaking the treaty, have you thought about if you'll be able to control her after her change?" Sam clarified.

_He's right. There is no way we will be able to control her if she has these powers. The bloodlust will be stron__g. Her strength will surpass our own, and the powers alone would stop us._

I looked at Jasper as his thoughts flowed through my mind, and it dawned on me. I wouldn't be able to prevent her from killing another human. Bella gasped and fell to the ground. Jacob and Sam were about to reach for her when Bella raised herself and slammed them both against the wall.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. But don't touch me." Bella gasped, and her body started trembling as she released Jacob and Sam. I kneeled beside her, ready to lift her.

"I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't," Bella sobbed, her body racking with shivers.

"Interesting choice of words," I said through gritted teeth.

Bella glared at me and hissed. "Don't start with that again."

Sam and Jacob pulled themselves together before approaching us again. I growled, feeling the rumble in my chest.

"I stay human, knowing that I might just die at any moment because of what's in my head. I attempt becoming a vampire, and I might die anyway. If I become a vampire I might kill humans for their blood because I'm too strong."

Bella almost wretched before continuing. "Or, I touch a wolf and may die before the transformation and healing takes place. If I don't die and become a werewolf, I lose the love of my life."

"Personally, I like the last choice Bella," Jacob said suggestively.

"Everybody stop thinking for a moment," Bella pleaded, grabbing her head. She was having a vision. I listened to her thoughts and heard a young woman screaming. She was about to be attacked by two men in an alley between a coffee shop and restaurant.

"She looks so scared," Bella cried. She was not only hearing but also seeing the young girl's thoughts. It was about to happen.

"Bella, stop listening. Block it out." I held her closely.

"You have to go and stop them. They'll kill her," Bella cried, pleading.

"I can't, Bella. If I do I'll… tear them apart." She couldn't ask me to do that. The anger and blood lust that would come when I stopped them would just bring me back to the monster I once was.

"What the hell is going on?" Jacob asked, kneeling down. My head snapped to him, and he put up his hands up defensively.

"She's reading the thoughts of someone nearby that is being attacked by two men. We can't go help her because there's blood," I said, never taking my eyes off Bella as she continued to sob against my chest.

"We'll take care of it. Where are they?" Sam asked as Embry, Quil and Leah darted out the door.

"Near the school campus. The coffee shop is called Blaire's," I relayed to Jacob and Sam. They nodded and left out the front door. Alice pinched her nose, shaking her head.

"Ewww… I had no idea the smell would be that bad," Alice complained as she walked to the door.

"Is she going to be okay, Alice? I can't find her future anymore," Bella mumbled, her head peeking and looking over to my sister.

"I can't see anything, Bella. Once the wolves got involved, there was nothing," Alice indicated, her voice soft and soothing.

"I lost everything too. I'm too scared to listen for her."

"You probably shouldn't, Bella. I don't know what the pack will do to the men," I whispered softly, picking her up in my arms, bringing her to the sofa and sitting her on my lap.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," I consoled her.

"Do they really stink to you all?" Bella giggled softly.

"Yes," Alice, Jasper and I said in unison. Bella shook her head and leaned her head against my chest.

"Edward, what did you mean about the monster you were before?" Bella asked, looking in my eyes. "I heard you thinking about something, but it was too fast for me to see."

I sighed this was not something I wanted her to know about. "Bella, you have to understand that even though I currently have a 'vegetarian' diet, doesn't mean I always had one," I said warily.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, her head cocking to one side in question.

"I rebelled against Carlisle and left him. With my ability, I passed over the innocent and only fed on the evil and guilty. The guilt of what I was doing finally made me return to Carlisle," I finished, waiting for her to go screaming and running away from me.

Alice and Jasper sat back in the chair near us, looking away but still listening.

"I guess that makes sense," Bella whispered.

I gaped, stunned. "That… doesn't scare you?"

"No, I mean… in a way, yes. But it makes sense that you'd want to make your own choices. You did come back, and you stopped doing it." Bella shrugged her shoulders. Bella sighed. "Can you look for the girl to see if she's okay now?" I nodded.

I closed my eyes in concentration and let my mind listen for the voice of the frightened girl. I could see through her human eyes that she's against the wall on the ground. I gritted my teeth when I saw that she was bleeding on the back of her head. "Thank you," she whispered as she took Jacob's hand and was lifted up. I could not see where the others were.

"Jacob has her. She has a wound on her head, but it's minor. She'll be fine, Bella, they didn't get to –"

"I understand." Bella sighed. "My ankle hurts. I need ice." Bella smiled at me weakly.

"My pleasure, love." I propped up her feet on some sofa pillows and placed my hands gently on her swollen ankle.

"What are we going to do, Edward?" Bella sighed, tears falling slightly from her eyes.

"Bella, I see you becoming a vampire. That hasn't changed," Alice said, thinking of the vision of Bella and me running through the forest.

"Yes, it looks like we're hunting. So, I live through the transformation, but do I kill humans?" Bella whispered, barely audible to anyone but us.

"You know it doesn't work that way, Bella. To see something, a decision or course of action must be made first." Alice got up from Jasper's lap and sat beside Bella's feet.

"When I first met you, at that moment I saw the plane crash, I saw you dead, and then it suddenly changed to you as one of us. Just meeting Esme and me caused that vision because James must have been watching," Alice indicated and started thinking.

"We won't know what will happen until you decide to do something." Alice shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't think I can live an eternity knowing I killed someone." Bella sighed and leaned her head on my chest.

"I won't let that happen. If you have to be changed, I will do everything in my power to protect you even from yourself," I said, an edge to my voice.

"I know you will. That's what scares me," Bella sobbed.

"What do you mean, Bella?" I asked, trying to look into her eyes.

"I mean that you will all try to stop me, and I may hurt you in the process."

"Bella, we don't know what's going to happen. It doesn't do you any good, dwelling on something you have no control over right now," Alice stated, looking at Jasper. Jasper started to send calming waves towards Bella.

"Thank you, Jasper." Bella smiled after a few moments, closing her eyes. Exhaustion was taking over her small body.

"They are on their way back," Alice whispered. I nodded and listened for the "voices" of the pack.

"Edward," Bella whispered, her hand clutching the front of my shirt. "My head hurts." I looked at her face; her eyes were scrunched up in obvious pain that she was trying to hold back.

"Bella, explain how it hurts," I pleaded looking at the face of my angel. I quickly looked at Alice, who just shook her head. She didn't know what was happening.

"Too many voices, so much pain and so much sadness," Bella gasped. Tears started flowing from her eyes.

"With her ability to hear thoughts and my ability, it's like she's feeling all those emotions she's hearing," Jasper exclaimed in a whisper. _Sorry, I never should've touched her. Her human mind can't cope with it._

"Bella, just calm your breathing and try to block them out like you block me out," I whispered against her forehead. I removed my hand from her ankle, which Alice quickly replaced with one of her own. I placed both of my hands on each side of her face. Bella whimpered. I sighed. It was difficult when I'd first become a vampire when I'd first heard many minds at once.

It had taken a great deal of time for me to get used to the buzz of the hundreds of voices in my head at once. Bella seemed to be picking up the neighbourhood and possibly the whole town. We had tested her abilities to send thoughts to Alice and Jasper, and it had been well over three miles away before I'd stopped, not wanting to push her any further.

Bella slowly opened her eyes to look at me and smiled. "I love you," she whispered, and then her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she lost consciousness.

* * *

**AN: beta'd by lisa89, thanks. Please review.**


	12. Healing

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Twelve – Healing**

* * *

"Bella," I whispered in panic. I gently shook her still form in my arms. "BELLA!" I cried louder. Alice and Jasper both appeared by my side, both trying to read her emotions or future.

_I'm fine, Edward_, _I __just need to rest, _Bella thought, but barely a whisper.

I sighed, my mind mentally exhausted. A few minutes later Sam and Jacob were outside the door, debating if the others should join them.

"You're safe here, unless you provoke the fight, Sam, Jacob," I said lowly, knowing that they'd be able to hear me. The door opened, and Jacob's eyes darted quickly to Bella's fragile, frail body.

"She's fine for now, just tired. She needs to rest." Alice answered Jacob's unspoken question.

"Then take her to her bed and leave," Jacob growled.

A rumble reverberated in my chest. "She can't be left alone while she sleeps," I snapped.

"Why is that, _leech_? Don't tell me you like to watch her?" Jacob said. His tone mirrored his revulsion.

"I don't believe that is any of your business, dog, but she can't be left alone because while she sleeps, her powers manifest around her." I didn't bother answering his last question.

"Don't use such hard words to describe what's going on, Edward. The mongrel probably doesn't understand you," Alice scoffed.

Sam and Jacob stepped closer, and Jasper stood protectively in front of Alice. "What do you mean?" Jacob asked, his face softening when Bella whimpered in her self-induced slumber.

"When she sleeps, she's unable to control her powers. At times, things move throughout the room. At first it was small items like cups, books and CDs, but a few nights ago, she sent her desk across the floor in her bedroom. She also tends to levitate, hitting the ceiling." I shrugged, running my fingers through Bella's silken hair.

"The situation between you two is far more complicated than we thought," Sam's voice interceding with my conversations with the beast.

"You should know that your pack is not our biggest problem," Jasper indicated. My head snapped to him. What the hell did he think he was doing?

"What could be a bigger problem than a pack of wolves threatening your existence?" Sam asked, curious. Jasper crouched at Sam's question. Alice placed her hand on Jasper's shoulder to help calm him.

"First of all, we have one, maybe two vampires still after Bella, though we think our family can handle that. But what you don't know is that if Bella is exposed, her powers or her knowledge of us, an army of vampires may come after her."

"Army of vampires?" Jacob and Sam said in unison.

"Yes, there is a coven of vampires that basically police all vampires to prevent exposure," I said casually. "No human is allowed to know our secrets and live. Bella has extraordinary powers while she's still human, and that would make her irresistible to them. They would not want to kill her, but rather make her one of them, so she could join their coven, making them unstoppable."

"We can't allow that to happen. But if the time comes and she needs to be changed to prevent her death, we will discuss revising the treaty with Carlisle," Sam said calmly. Jacob's eyes widened, his entire body trembling with anger. He did not agree with Sam.

"But if she does need to be changed, we will be here. If she is too powerful for you we will kill her," Sam indicated, his tone serious. I nodded. Sam turned on his heels, darting for the door. Once he'd reached the door and Jacob had not followed, he whispered his name.

"If I don't get a call from her every few days, I'll be back," Jacob growled before leaving. Sam was out in the front walkway as Jacob turned at the door to look at Bella, his eyes betraying his feelings. He longed for her. He loved her.

"Tell her I said goodbye," Jacob whispered before closing the door behind him.

"About time. It was getting awfully uncomfortable not breathing with that stench," Alice complained, opening windows. Jasper followed suit, opening windows in Bella's dining area.

"I wish there was a strong wind that could blow through the house now." Alice continued to complain as she opened the front door. Suddenly, her wish was granted as a strong gust of wind came out of nowhere, blowing throughout the house for over a minute before it quieted down.

_Sorry, I just wanted her to be quiet,_ Bella thought, and I laughed.

Alice rolled her eyes. "She needs to warn us when she does something like that again," Alice said, taking out a piece of paper that had landed in her spiky jet black hair.

"I'm going to take her to her room then run to the class we missed to see if we can make it up somehow," I said, telling my sister as her vision indicated that the professor would understand. I rolled my eyes and lifted myself off the sofa and walked down the cream-colored hallway to her bedroom.

I placed her gently on the bed and covered her with her blankets. I leaned down placing a gentle kiss against her petal-soft pink lips. Bella sighed in her sleep, the corners of her mouth twitching into a small smile. I chuckled lightly and turned to leave her.

_Do you have to go?_

"I'll back soon, love," I assured her.

_Go hunt too, we need to experiment on something tonight, but you can't be hungry.'_

I went closer to her. "You need to rest…"

_Save it, Edward. We need to test our limits, and tonight is as good as any other night._

"Bella," I growled in protest.

_I love you. Bye._

With that, she refused to let me in her head further. I sighed in frustration and left.

Alice was right the professor said that we didn't miss much and handed me our assignment due next week.

I went deep into the forests just outside of town and quenched my thirst on a few bucks. I left and started walking back home to shower and change quickly before returning for the night to Bella's.

I was just finishing changing into a pair of jeans when I heard Alice in my head.

_You need to get over here, NOW!_

I ran swiftly out of my house and noticed all the lights flickering in Bella's house next door. I internally cringed; she must have started having control problems in her sleep again.

_Jasper! Stop, you know you don't want to hurt her! _Alice screamed in my head.

If my heart was beating, it would've stopped now. Through Alice's thoughts I could see that Bella had cut her finger on a page of a book she was reading.

Jasper was crouched in front of Alice, ready to attack Bella. My protective side toward Bella was much more powerful than the need for her blood. I ran into the house crouched in front of Bella, my eyes on Jasper.

"Alice," I growled. Alice stood between Jasper and me in hopes to stop either of us if we chose to move against the other.

"Bella, why haven't you thrown him out of the house?" I asked through clenched teeth. I tried not to breathe, but the burn was becoming unbearable.

"I can't for some reason," Bella mumbled. I heard behind me that she'd risen up from the sofa and was trying to back out of the living area toward her room.

Jasper's eyes never left his prey, a growl rumbling through his chest. Then suddenly there was a crash behind me. Alice's eyes widened as Jasper sprung toward Bella. I met him in the air and tackled him to the ground. I held him down with my entire body, gasping for unnecessary breath.

That was my undoing. Bella was bleeding more.

I turned to look at where the beautiful scent was coming from, and Bella was crouched over a broken glass vase, her entire hand bleeding. She looked at me, her eyes wide with fear, pain and doubt. She knew she was about to die.

I sprung and landed lightly on top of her. She didn't scream; she didn't fight me she just looked at me. She showed me a vision of her pale body in my arms, my eyes red and howl of pain I let out.

"Fight me, Bella." I pleaded, trying to fight the urge as the venom pooled in my mouth. A growl beside me told me Jasper and Alice were having just as much trouble as I was.

"Fight us, Bella," I pleaded again, a growl rumbling in my chest. My throat cracked from the burn and fire licking throughout my body.

Suddenly, Alice, Jasper and I were pinned against the wall. Bella stood up slowly, removing her sweater, and started to clean the blood of her arm. Jasper hissed, growling, trying to fight against the invisible restraints. Alice looked tense, but seemed more in control. I took deep breaths, letting Bella's scent invade every pore of my body. I had to get used to it. _Feel the burn._

I watched as she continued cleaning, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. "Bella, tie something just above your elbow. It should help with the bleeding."

"Can I let you go yet?" Bella asked, not looking at me as she took off her belt and tightened it around her arm.

"No." I struggled saying it when my body and my thirst wanted to say yes.

Bella sighed and tried to remove a few pieces of glass that had penetrated her arm. She moved about the room, gathering a metal trash can and a burning candle. She threw in the sweater she'd used to clean her wound and set it ablaze with the candle.

Bella looked at her arm and then looked at me. Her eyes were sad and deeply troubled. "They're too deep. I need to have them taken care of." I noticed Alice stiffen beside me. Her eyes glazed over.

"Bella, you don't know if that will work," Alice pleaded, struggling against her restraints. "I can't see the end result. You can kill yourself."

"What is she going to do, Alice?" I asked, watching Bella sit on the couch, leaning back and closing her eyes.

"She got the idea from the pack. She's going to concentrate on healing herself," Alice whispered.

"Bella, you have no idea if you're even capable of doing that. Now is your chance to get to the hospital," I called out to her.

"It's too late. She's already trying, and it's working," Alice said in awe as we watched Bella's swollen ankle turning from black and blue to yellow and then to her pale skin. I watched her face scrunch up in concentration as her arm moved from her side to across her chest. Her body starting trembling as the small cuts from the shards of glass she'd removed earlier sealed themselves, leaving nothing but pink scars. But Bella's body trembled further as I felt my restraints loosen.

"Alice, take Jasper now to hunt. I'm letting you two go in a few seconds," Bella explained. Alice and Jasper nodded. The front door flung open, and Alice and Jasper's feet touched the ground for only a millisecond before they were out the door.

Bella stood up proudly from the couch as the last of the cuts sealed itself. Suddenly, her eyes widened as blood fell from her nose. One trembling hand went to her nose; seeing the blood caused her eyes to roll. She gasped, touching her temple.

"Bella, stop trying to heal your body! _Please_. You're over-exerting your body, and it's not handling it well." My concern for her well-being was overpowering my yearning for her blood. Her restraint against me relaxed, and I was able to go to her. I grasped her face as she fought for control over her powers.

"Bella, stop!" I pleaded, trying to reach her. Her eyes were blank and glazed over.

_I'm not finished. I have to try and heal my ribs._

Her thoughts invaded my mind with a swift and loud glance into her mind. Her thoughts revolved on trying to heal her aneurysm, but she realized she couldn't do it. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her mind became lost to me again. Bella gasped for breath that she seemed to be holding.

Her eyes snapped open, and one was blood red from a popped vessel as her nose continued to flow. I stopped breathing to help with my control, but seeing her like this was driving me insane.

"I did it." Bella smiled.

"Yes, at the cost of hurting yourself. You popped a blood vessel in your eye and a few in your nose," I scolded, looking into her eyes. Bella cocked her head, reading my thoughts to see through my eyes how she looked right now. Her eyes widened. Her body trembled and the blood red from her eye cleared and the flow from her nose ceased.

"Better?" she asked, biting her lower lip, nervous of my reaction. Bella wiped her nose with some tissues before discarding it in the still – burning trash can.

"Yes. What did you manage to heal?" I asked, pulling away to look her over. Bella slowly unbuttoned her top from the bottom, exposing her torso and rib cage. She didn't go any further, thankfully. Between the scent of her blood that was still pungent in the air and seeing her body more exposed, it would undermine my control.

"Help me remove the gauze please," Bella said as she looked for a tape end. I nodded, but my eyes roamed over the exposed flesh of her abdomen. I shivered slightly, feeling her muscles tense as I touched her warm skin. I applied a little pressure to cause the tape to fall away easily.

With every piece of tape that fell away, more of her skin was exposed. The more her skin was exposed, I was able to see that she no longer bore the evidence of the plane crash on her fragile body. The black and blue bruising that I'd witnessed from Alice's thoughts when she helped Bella dress was no longer there.

"I healed my ribs and my bruising around my stomach." Bella smiled, happy that she'd been able to accomplish something like this.

"How's your ankle?" I lifted Bella up in my arms and sat her on my lap on the couch. I lifted up her bare foot and noticed no noticeable bruising or swelling.

"I can't do my head though," Bella mumbled. "I think it would be too dangerous. I don't know enough about anatomy to even attempt something like that." I nodded in agreement. "Did I scare you?" Bella asked, her eyes downcast.

I slid a finger under her chin and picked up her face so that she could look at me. "Absolutely. Don't do it again." I looked into her eyes with such intensity that she agreed.

"Sorry, I just got the idea. I thought since humans do naturally heal that I could speed up the process if I concentrated," Bella whispered, resting her head in the crook of my neck. Her warm breath was fanning over the cool skin of – a sudden rush of warmth shot through me. _Control…must maintain control._

"What were you doing that caused you to cut your finger?" I asked, looking into Bella's eyes – a beautiful distraction. She blushed lightly and averted her eyes from mine.

"What is it, love?" I asked, turning her face back toward me. Her thoughts were once again hidden from me, her eyes, though were a window to them.

"My mind is having a hard time coping with everything in it, and I needed a way to help… um… quiet it. So, I've been drawing," Bella said, biting her lower lip. I looked at her in question.

"I didn't know you could draw?" I stated more like a question.

"Neither did I,. Until now, that is. But it helps keep my mind from running wild. At least for now."

"What have you been drawing?" Bella's eyes widened, and the blush on her cheeks returned. She shook her head in an attempt to put a stop to the conversation. When she wouldn't divulge anything further, I became quickly irritated that she wouldn't tell me.

"Edward," Bella whined, no doubt reading my thoughts. "Don't get mad. It's just images like the one on the computer." She sighed in defeat.

Comprehension dawned on me. No wonder she was blushing. But my curiosity for more information had overcome my own embarrassment. "Are those images from a vision a dream, or something else?"

"I'm not sure. When I start to draw it almost seems…. um…. Instinctual, like it's pre-programmed in my head. Those are the images that come forth." Bella flicked her wrist and a finger, and her drawing book landed on her lap. "Some of the images are like the first one, but others are of vampires I have never seen before."

Bella flipped to the first page. There was a picture of a female vampire with untamed beauty and flaming red hair – Victoria, James's mate.

"She comes and goes, most of the time alone in the images. You can see that there is snow covering the ground, so I think it's in the winter, but I guess that depends on where this is," Bella mumbled as her thoughts showed Victoria crouching low, her lips and teeth in a snarl.

"That's Victoria, she played a game of baseball with James and the other one back in Forks. James and Victoria have a bond together. It would make sense for her to be trying to get to you, too," I growled lowly. I should've known that we'd see each other again.

Bella flipped the page to one of us sitting among the wildflowers in my meadow back near Forks. We were sitting, my skin sparkling like a handful of diamonds. "This one I think takes place next spring and is before the one I did on my computer." Bella touched the drawing with her fingertip, touching her hand in the drawing. I bit back a gasp as I saw what was on her left hand – my mother's wedding ring.

Bella looked up at me, and her eyes widened, shaking her head as she read my thoughts. She quickly turned the page to one with three cloaked tall figures. They stood tall, and before them were two smaller ones figures. The picture was mostly in various shades of black and grey, but the eyes were filled in with red. The Volturi.

"When does this take place?" I asked, looking at Bella, my mind still reeling over the fact that she was wearing my mother's engagement ring. Bella shrugged.

"It keeps changing. First, it was only the two little ones and two others, but after time it grew to seven of them and then more…" Bella trailed off.

"Do you know why they plan to come?" The "why" was just as important as the "when."

"No… they don't know about me yet, but obviously they will," Bella said before stifling a yawn.

"You're exhausted, Bella. Let's get you to bed," I whispered, lifting myself from the couch with Bella still in my arms.

"I don't want to go to sleep," Bella whispered against my neck again. I could feel her lips on my skin, sending another lick of heat throughout my body.

"Bella, you need to sleep and rest," I said, stroking her cheek before laying her on her bed. I tucked the blankets around her before climbing in beside her.

"Edward…" Bella trailed off before finishing.

"Was that really your mother's wedding ring?" Bella asked, her voice low, barely a whisper.

"Yes, you drew it perfectly. I know I haven't really thought about it around you. So, my guess is that…" I didn't want to scare her off, so I chose not to continue. I tried to recite musical compositions in my mind to avoid her reading my thoughts.

"We'll be married before I change." Bella sighed, but a smile played on her lips. I looked at her soft features; this was not what I'd been expecting to see. I thought she'd run for the hills at the thought of marriage, after the failed attempt of her parents.

Bella laughed as her eyes glazed over. She refused to let me see what she was seeing. "Bella," I growled. She shook her head, and her eyes refocused back to mine.

"Sorry, when I had realized that what the ring meant, the rest of the next few months came to me in visions." Bella's smile widened.

"What did you see?" I asked, slightly fearful of the answer.

"Our wedding night…"

* * *

**AN: beta'd by lisa89, thanks. Please review.**


	13. Coward

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Thirteen – Coward**

* * *

I gulped. I couldn't help it. The very idea that we even… God, I wanted to… but the chances of me hurting her were too high. Her safety was my only concern.

"Edward!" Bella screamed. "You just shifted everything again! Will you please stop over-thinking everything?"

"No. Not when your safety is concerned," I snapped back at her, anger evident in my tone.

"We need to know what happened to me in that vision. That vision hasn't changed… it's still there."

"Well, I can't help you there, since you refuse to show me the damn vision," I roared.

"Well, considering that you shudder from the mere thought of our wedding night, I can't imagine what seeing a vision where I'm covered in blood, dying, and naked would do to you." She huffed defiantly, turning away from me.

Then suddenly visions of us together in a small meadow surrounded by lush forest started to trickle in my mind. We were laying on a blanket, basking the in the sunlight. The vision swirled to where I was hovering over her small body, kissing her lips. Her hands were tangled in my hair, and my hand was… under the hem of her dress.

"Stop it, Bella!" I growled, taking several steps away from her. It was taking every bit of my control to stop myself from attacking her.

"No, you need to see that you won't hurt me," she pleaded. I shook my head and distanced myself further.

"I am a monster. I could hurt you with a mere finger, Bella." The vision continued, more vivid, the feelings also strong as my hand moved up her thigh, touching her... I growled.

"Stop!" I roared, causing her to cower away from me. Her eyes were wide and filled with fear. Her heart rate had increased – another sign of fear.

"See… I'm a monster," I said viciously, stalking toward her. "You're scared of me now. I can smell the fear in your blood. First and foremost, I crave your blood, Bella."

I knew I had to make it clear to her. I could never allow losing what little control I had. Being intimate would undermine my control, and my desire to keep her alive. I had to show her the monster I was capable of being.

I started with my first human victim. I replayed the memory in perfect clarity. The fear in his face as I batted him away from the woman he was trying to violate. The way his bones crunched from the sound as his back hit the brick wall of the dark alleyway. The way the small, scared woman screamed when she looked at me. She feared me, even though I had saved her, she saw me as the monster that I really was, before she ran.

I showed Bella when I hovered over the whimpering man that smelled of stale whiskey and smoke. I showed her the fear and utter terror that was etched across his face as I snarled at him before I bit down on his neck. I showed her my frenzied state as I sucked the blood from his dying body.

"Stop!" she sobbed as she fell to her knees, but I didn't relent. I showed her my next victim and the next. I went through them slowly, letting her see the monster that I'd been and still was.

"Stop, please!" she pleaded both out loud and in my mind. But I didn't stop. She needed to understand.

Suddenly, her thoughts were closed to me. She stood up, her face showing anger, her eyes blazing with an unknown fire I had yet to witness. "I felt everything he felt. I felt everything you felt." She gasped, clutching her chest.

"Now, it's your turn." Suddenly, I was met with an onslaught of images of us together, hundreds of them. I felt every feeling both mine and hers. I saw her beautiful naked body beneath my own, her face in ecstasy.

"Stop!" I growled, stepping away from her. Her thoughts went faster, but slow enough to feel everything like it was happening. I gasped for breath. She showed me everything, even the vision of her tattered body in my arms as Carlisle and I tried to save her.

I did the only thing I could do. I ran.

"You coward!" I heard her scream out loud and in my head.

I ran for miles. I didn't stop until I was deep in a forest. I fell to my knees after twenty minutes had passed.

In the last vision, there was no way she would survive as a human, losing that much blood. I was going to lose her. If I didn't change her, I would lose her.

_You may have already lost her, idiot._

I heard her before she approached me. Then suddenly I was assaulted with several punches toward my body with small hands. Alice.

"How could you leave her like that?" she screamed at me. "How could you show her something so awful?" She continued her assault before continuing. "She's going to remember that for the rest of her existence." She punched me several more times before stopping.

"I'm going back to calm her down," she huffed. "_If_ she lets me in." Alice rolled her eyes.

"What do you mean?" I looked up at her.

"When I saw what you were going to do to her, I tried to go in, but I couldn't. It's like she blocked the entire house. I tried every door and every window. I could just break something down, but I don't think she'd appreciate it," she said sheepishly.

"Alice, what the hell am I supposed to do?" I ran my hands through my hair before slowly lifting myself from the ground.

"Don't go back right now. If you do, you'll probably just say something stupid and make matters worse."

"What I did was awful… I lost all control of my anger. I lashed out at her," I said, my voice low and tinged with self-loathing. If I closed my eyes, the Bella I saw was the one with utter terror on her face.

"I don't know. You know her enough to know that she'll try to play it off, pretend that it was nothing, but there will always be a small part of her that will know what you can be capable of."

"I love her so much, Alice. But what she wants…" I trailed off, knowing Alice knew exactly what I was talking about.

"Well, I've had all the same visions Bella has had, trust us. You just need to let go." She shrugged her shoulders.

"How can I just let go? Her blood sings to me. What if I lose control while we're together like that?"

"You don't. You saw the vision. It's not you. I don't know how she gets that mangled up," she whispered, running the vision in her head. "You don't think it's one of the wolves, do you?"

I growled and roared in anger, uprooting a tree and flinging through the forest. They wouldn't. I'd kill them, all of them.

"We can't see anything before the incident, so that could be the reason. But why would she be attacked?" Alice tried to replay the vision over and over again in her mind.

"Stop, Alice. It hurts seeing her like that." I sighed, leaning against a spared tree. "Can you see anything after?"

"Just the one of you two running in a forest, and her eyes are red."

"So, she survives the attack, but only because we changed her." I closed my eyes. I didn't want to take her life and make her something like me.

"You may not want to change her, but your decision does not change the vision. It's still going to happen. Maybe it's Carlisle that changes her."

"He wouldn't if I asked him not to," I growled.

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, tell me what you're going to do if you let her die?"

"Easy, I'll follow her," I stated, like it was obvious. This is one argument I'd grown tired of having. I'd had it with both Bella and my family.

"That's fucking stupid," Alice snorted while she crossed her arms across her chest.

"I don't have another choice," I snapped.

"You have to remember that technically she can die at any moment. Is that really enough time for you to spend with her?"

I shook my head. "I want to marry her, Alice. But the visions frighten me."

"I know they do, Edward. But I've seen the visions. You're not going to hurt her," she said. She was poised to continue but a vision came into her thoughts. She quickly started singing Britney Spears' latest hit in her head.

"But only because you start practicing before the wedding night." She giggled, her eyes filled with a secret.

I groaned. "What?" I looked at her in confusion.

"Yes, you need to build your tolerance level to be intimate with her before that night. So, you need to practice," she stated matter-of-factly, shrugging her shoulders.

"No. That is absolutely out of the question," I said firmly.

"You don't have a choice. She's already making plans." She giggled again but blocked her thoughts from me.

I groaned. This was not something that I needed right now. Practice would entail... touching ... I couldn't handle it. I knew I couldn't.

"I think you need not to fight it so much. It will make her feel better. When you turn her away she feels that she's not wanted. And if you set ground rules, it will make it easier for the both of you. It will put her at less risk."

"Is she going to forgive me?" I asked, my voice barely audible. _She'd forgive me, right?_

"I think you already know the answer," she whispered before disappearing into the lush forest behind me.

_Not that you deserve it._

I decided to feed to be on the safe side. It had been a terribly long day already. Despite the endless energy that a vampire possessed, I felt like all my limbs were numb. I'd hurt her and in hurting her, I'd hurt myself.

Bella was right. I did over-think everything. A con of vampirism was a mind that was able to think many things at once.

I stayed away from home for another hour, before stopping to clean up yet again. After a shower and a change of clothes, I walked back into my living room, where Alice and Jasper were waiting.

"You can't go over there just yet," Jasper said, looking at me warily.

"Does she still not want me there?" I asked, as his thoughts were of Bella's feelings of abandonment, fear and her self-esteem issues came into his mind.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair in frustration. Alice gave a small smile and looked at Jasper, who nodded.

"We're going out for a while," Alice said before taking Jasper by the hand and quickly disappearing.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose and closing my eyes. I walked past my living room and into my formal living area where a black baby grand piano stood with a few wing chairs and a chaise that were settled near the fireplace.

I hadn't played in a while, but Alice insisted that I should have one here after I met Bella. I didn't understand the reason at the time. But she said that I just needed inspiration, and I had found that in Bella.

I started playing some of my favourites, including the composition I wrote for Esme. Soon I found myself composing something brought forth from my muse. I continued working areas until they were perfect before moving on. Soon it flowed beautifully from within my dead heart to my fingers and became _Bella's Lullaby_.

I felt terrible for hurting her and for showing her something so awful. In my rebellious years, I'd hunted and slaughtered hundreds of rapists, murders, paedophiles – the lowliest of humans possible. I'd fed on the blood of these monsters in human form, using my gifts to pass over the innocent. But in that time I'd found that I was just as much as a monster as they were. I'd made myself their judge, jury and executioner. I now thought that maybe I'd been looking for a way to destroy myself.

And I'd revealed this, the most horrendous period of my existence, to the one person that I loved the most. I'd revealed it in a way that she would never forget the images in her mind.

I was a monster.

I was the lion that feared the touch of a lamb.

So much had changed in such a short amount of time. Bella and I had only known each other for a few weeks. To an immortal it was a blink of an eye. But Alice was right, it was not enough if I suddenly lost Bella. She could really die any second now. I was selfish. I wanted a lifetime together, and if I was really honest with myself, it would be my lifetime. Forever.

I was essentially a selfish person, and I wanted more time with her. _If she'll have you back, _I thought to myself_._ I couldn't quell the fear that she might not forgive me, despite Alice's cryptic message that she would.

I continued playing from one song to the next for what felt like hours. I was just starting on Bella's lullaby when I heard and smelled her coming into the room.

I stopped for a moment, about to turn to face her, but she stopped me.

"Keep playing," she whispered.

I continued and answered the question that I was sure she was going to ask. "It's called Bella's Lullaby."

Suddenly, she was standing beside me. _Since when did she move so quickly?_

"Do you mind if I sit with you?"

I shook my head, keeping my eyes fixed on my moving fingers as they glided across the ivory and black keys.

Bella never did or said what I expected her to. She climbed on my lap, careful to avoid disturbing my playing, and straddled me. Her legs, clung to my hips as her arms wrapped around my neck. She leaned her head in the crook of my neck, sighing sweetly.

I sighed as she pressed herself as close as possible.

I couldn't deny it any longer. I wanted her. Soon I wouldn't be able to hide my desire for her.

Bella pressed her lips against the icy plane of my neck. She whispered, "I'm sorry. I know this is hard for you. You are _not_ a coward. I know why you are doing this." Bella pressed her lips against me again and darted out her warm, wet tongue to taste me.

I groaned softly, my playing faltering slightly.

"I appreciate your concern for my safety, but it's unnecessary," she said softly, leaning her head on my shoulder.

I shook my head and stopped playing. "Bella," I whispered slowly, allowing my hands to glide down her back. "You may think it's unnecessary, but you can't deny that I may hurt you. I would never be able to live with myself if... I caused you pain."

I sighed before continuing. "You must believe me when I say that I am so sorry for what I showed you. I never should have let myself lose control of my anger. If I could erase what I did to you I would. I love you, Bella. Even though I don't deserve it, can you forgive me?"

Bella pulled away and looked into my eyes, her warm brown eyes boring into my honey-colored ones. She seemed to be searching for something. I wanted her to know that I wanted to be close to her, but my distance was only because of my concern for her safety.

She smiled softly and nodded. I sighed and carefully pressed her closer, allowing one of my hands to travel from her lower back to cradle her neck. My breathing hitched as her heart started beating faster. My eyes remained locked with hers, gauging her reactions. Underneath my fingertips I felt the quickening of her pulse. I swallowed the venom that pooled in my mouth, and I felt the fire lick my throat as I pressed my lips to hers. Her eyes closed, relaxing in my embrace. Her hands slowly moved from around my neck to my hair. I closed my eyes from the warmth emanating from her warm body, enjoying the sensation of her fingers raking through my hair.

Bella moaned softly, causing something to stir from the depths of my mind, my dead heart. I wanted more. The hunger for much more than her blood fueled my desire to have her closer. My hand cupping her neck slid into her hair while the other went from the small of her back to the middle, pressing her chest closer to my own.

I groaned, feeling the effect of my cold skin against her chest. I had to stop. My body started reacting, and I was already having difficulty controlling it. Bella seemed to sense what I was about to do because she slowly swept her tongue over my bottom lip, taking it in between her lips and sucking lightly.

_Please, Bella._

She stopped and pulled away slowly. She pressed her forehead against mine, both of us catching our breath.

_Are you__ okay?_ she asked, allowing her thoughts to open up to me again.

I nodded minutely. I felt the flow of blood pool in her face, causing me to smile. "Now was that so hard? We can move as slowly as you need, Edward," Bella said, sighing again before pulling away and sitting in between my legs with her back to my chest.

"Now, let's hear you play again."

I laughed, pulling her long hair to one side. I rested my chin on her shoulder and got comfortable. I started playing, telling her it was Esme's song. Bella smiled and continued watching the keys. "You know, love," I said, watching her expression of concentration, "you are bit of a distraction."

Bella laughed, causing her whole body to tremble beside me. "Well, let's see how much you can still concentrate, despite me distracting you." I chuckled but managed to continue.

"This is your song," I said softly. My fingers flowed over the keys, allowing the sweet melody of her song to fill the room. Bella continued to watch the keys, and then she put her hands on one of my own, stopping me.

I put my hands down on top of her thighs, wondering why she'd asked me to stop. She placed her fingers on the keys and started playing Esme's song.

"I memorized what you did, but I can't seem to get a hang of the tempo," Bella said, concentrating. I smiled and stopped her. I placed my hands on the keys again and asked her to put her hands on top of my own.

Together we played several songs, including her song. Bella smiled. "That was nice, Edward."

"It was lovely. Thank you for sharing something with me." Bella nodded, and then her stomach growled. She blushed, causing me to laugh.

"Come on, my little human, let's get you something to eat."

"It's late, so just a snack and I'm off to bed," Bella replied, yawning.

"Yes, love." I smiled and lifted her up and ran to her house. I sat her at the kitchen island snack bar and looked around the kitchen.

"What would you like?"

"A bowl of Lucky Charms would be perfect."

I nodded and grabbed a bowl and spoon and looked for the cereal in her pantry. Bella got up from the stool she was sitting on and grabbed the milk.

She poured herself a bowl and started eating. After a few moments of silence, she brought up the vision.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but we need to."

I nodded in agreement.

"What do you think happened to me?" Bella asked in a whisper.

I shook my head. "I'm not sure. You look basically torn up. Alice had a theory, though."

"I thought of the wolves, too. Though I have no idea why they would attack me."

_Leah. _We both thought.

Bella shook her head. "I did hear how angry I made her. But for her to go against the pack, she wouldn't."

I nodded and sighed. "I think I know how to avoid breaking the treaty now."

Bella's brow furrowed. "I had a syringe of venom in my hand in the vision, Bella. Instead of biting you to inject the venom, I could just inject it straight to your heart."

Bella smiled and cocked an eyebrow. "You know that still won't sit well with the pack. But it doesn't go against the treaty, technically." I nodded my head in agreement.

She yawned and pushed her bowl away. I washed her dishes and put everything away as she went to get ready for bed. I locked up and walked toward her bedroom. She was sitting on her bed with a book in her hands, reading.

"You need some rest, love," I whispered, removing my shoes and socks to lie beside her.

"You're right," she said as she tried to stifle another yawn. "I have errands to run tomorrow before school in the evening."

I looked at her in confusion. "I have to go to the bank, run to the grocery store and look into joining the gym."

I cocked an eyebrow in question. She rolled her eyes. "What? I think it would help if I was a little more physically fit to help me control my powers. It makes sense to me."

I pictured her in the gym and accidentally hurting herself and falling off a treadmill. Bella huffed beside me and tried to push me off the bed. Of course, I didn't budge.

She got under the covers quickly and turned her back to me. I laughed and climbed in beside her. "Bella, I'm sorry. You have to admit, it could happen."

Bella sighed. "You're just jealous. Admit it. I'll be in a gym working out with others there watching me." She smirked as I growled.

_Hel__l, I didn't even think of that._

"No. Don't even try to talk me out of it. I'm just looking into it for now. Who knows, maybe I'll just get an elliptical or something." Bella shrugged her shoulders and shifted her body so that she was facing me again.

I smiled and nodded.

_No. That does not mean you can buy me one._

I pouted. This mind-reading thing was never going to allow me to surprise her.

She giggled. "That's right," she teased.

I rolled my eyes, pulling her closer to me. I settled on my back, and she laid her head on my chest while one of my hands ran up and down her back.

"Good-night kiss?" Bella asked.

I chuckled and nodded, knowing she was watching me.

She grinned and blushed slightly before crawling up on my body and placing her lips on my own, softly at first. She did the same as before, licking my bottom lip. I groaned, which only encouraged her more.

She placed both of her hands on either side of my face and deepened the kiss, pressing harder, trying to convey all the love and passion into this one kiss. I wrapped both of my arms around her and pulled her close, causing Bella's mouth to open slightly just as mine did.

I could taste her breath and her scent on my tongue. It was too much.

Bella literally flew away from me just as I ran to stand in the corner. I stopped breathing, pinching the bridge of my nose. We both remained quiet, the only sound was her breathing. I opened my eyes shortly afterward, and Bella was stuck to the ceiling again. I chuckled.

"I'm so glad I'm amusing you," she said stiffly.

"Sorry. Here, let me help you down," I said, closing the distance between us. I pulled her off and wrapped my arms around her.

"Bella, I'm –"

"Don't, Edward. I understand." She sighed and closed her eyes.

She might have understood but it didn't make it right.

***

Early the next morning, Bella left to run her errands while the sun decided to make an appearance today. Alice and Jasper were contemplating on heading homes, since Bella no longer required Alice's assistance.

"I think we'll stay a little longer. It would allow me to start looking for a house for the rest of us," Alice said brightly. Jasper and I nodded. I knew that I wasn't going to win any argument with her. Alice stuck out her tongue.

Shortly after two in the afternoon, Bella's thoughts started to scream in our heads.

_Edward Anthony Cullen, you are so dead!_

I looked at Alice, her eyes widening, showing me Bella at the bank, yelling at the teller.

Oh no, she'd found out I'd paid for her house in full.

Jasper said, "Alice, that's our cue to leave."

* * *

**AN: Beta'd by lisa89, thank you. Please review.**


	14. Wicked

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Fourteen – Wicked**

* * *

"She's going to be here in about three minutes, Edward. Umm… you'd better grab her and take off running." Alice said sheepishly.

I sighed. "Why do I have to do that, Alice?"

A vision clear as day played in her head.

_Bella comes into the house, slamming the door with her powers, sending it off its hinges. She floats into the room and glares at me_, _her eyes filled with anger and something else._

"_How could you?" she roars, causing all the windows to shatter._

She was going to be noticed. She was going to bring down the Volturi on herself and my family.

Alice nodded and stopped showing me the outcome of Bella's anger. I stood beside the door ready for her. She was going to know what I was going to try and attempt, but I had no choice. She'd expose herself and my family if I allowed her to blow up like that.

"Grab her and take her to that meadow you were at last night," Alice said. "You know, the one you ran to." Alice took Jasper's hand, walking out the back door and out of sight.

I waited nervously in Bella's house when I heard her car tires screech on the pavement outside.

"Edward," she whispered, only audible to those of my kind.

Why did she sound so calm?

_Hurry, I don't know how long I can hold it._

I listened to the surrounding area and heard and saw that no one would see me nearby. I ran to her car door and helped her out. Her whole body was flushed; her hair was whipping around her. I stared in awe; she looked like a fallen angel.

An angel bent on causing hell.

I gulped.

_Get me out of here,_ her thoughts cried out to me.

I nodded and swiftly put her on my back. I ran to the backyard and found purchase on a large Douglas fir. I launched into the neighboring tree, always mindful of Bella. I continued upward and further into the lush forest.

After twenty minutes, I found the clearing and Bella flew off me, sending me careening toward a tree, demolishing it.

Bella landed on her feet a few hundred feet away from me. She started pacing… well, it looked like pacing, but her feet were about four feet off the ground. I watched, entranced by her movements and thoughts that were chaotic in her head. She suddenly blocked me, aware that she had dropped her shield.

After a few minutes, her breathing had returned to normal, and her bare feet touched the ground delicately.

"Did anything I tell you sink in that hard head of yours?" she asked, avoiding my gaze.

I made my way to her after dusting myself off and stood a few feet in front of her. "Please don't be mad at me, Bella," I pleaded. Her hurt and in pain was terrible and unthinkable. But her anger at me was just as bad.

"When did you do it?" she asked, crouching low on the ground. She leaped and settled on a branch on a large spruce about twenty feet above me.

I panicked, watching from the forest floor, afraid that she might fall and hurt herself.

"I paid for it about the same time I ordered the car. Um… you were still in the hospital."

She watched me and shook her head. "Why didn't you tell me so at least I could've been prepared?" She jumped off the tree suddenly, and I watched in horror ready to jump to catch her, but she held me in her restraints and I was unable to move.

Her toes touched the ground delicately and gracefully. She used her telekinesis to soften her landing. She released me once she was safe on the ground.

"I went in there after attempting to set up online payments this morning on my laptop so I could make a payment on my house. But low and behold, it showed that I no longer had a balance. I thought it was a mistake. I went to the bank and found out it was paid in full by Pacific Northwest, the same company that gave me a last minute scholarship. Tell me you didn't pay for my tuition, too."

I shook my head, because I had nothing to do with the scholarship. The fact that it was my family's dummy corporation told me that someone in my family had something to do with it.

We both came up with the answer – _Esme_.

Bella shook her head. "You've all done enough for me, and you've done enough for me. Doing something like this just throws us more off balance."

"Off balance?" I questioned. Talking seemed to be distracting her enough to calm down.

"Yes, Edward… _off_ _balance_. You know you're all beautiful, smart and perfect and… I'm just me."

I looked at her. Had she lost her mind?

"Bella, even before all this happened to you, you were all those things and more. You're selfless, warm and _good._ How can you believe otherwise?"

"I don't know how to explain it." She sighed as waves of insecurity came off her. "It's like the only thing I can give you is me, and everything you give me, all the things you buy me, it's like you're… putting up your whore."

I took her hands in my own and kissed them and shook my head. "Love, I would never think of you as property or something like that."

"Wait, I'm not finished." She held up her warm hand over my mouth. "I feel like a pet. That's the best way to describe it. I feel like a damn lab experiment. 'Let's see what happens to the little human when I buy her a car, wardrobe, or a damn house.' 'Let's see what she eats and how erratic her sleep patterns are…'"

I shook my head. I never felt like I was watching her every move because I wanted to see her reaction to something. It was just that every move she made was beautiful and sensual.

"Stop trying to make me believe otherwise. Since the beginning, you were attracted to my blood, to my quiet mind and my humanity. And face it, with each passing day I'm less and less human. And even if you choose to change me, what will it do to our already – fragile relationship? Will you like the way I smell then? What if once I become a vampire, my mind remains unshielded? Will you still want to know my thoughts?"

God, she based all my feelings on just her human qualities and nothing more. She believed that I loved her for all the things that had originally attracted me to her. Had I given her any other reason to believe otherwise? When I saw it through her eyes, no, I hadn't. I'd never once told her all the reasons I loved her. I'd undermined her wishes and kept things from her.

She didn't feel like my equal or at the same level as my family and me. But she failed to see that even though she had all those qualities now, it didn't mean she would have a semblance of her humanity after her change.

"I don't want to be kept in the dark. I want to know what is happening. I want you to tell me something even though you know it would upset me."

I shook my head and pulled her into my arms. "Bella, please believe me when I say that I love you for so many reasons and not just for your blood."

"I'm trying so hard to block my powers from reading your thoughts and feeling your emotions when you're touching me. I'm afraid that if I don't, I might not like what I hear. What if I repulse you?"

"Bella, I appreciate that you are giving me my privacy when we're together, but let me assure you that if you dropped your shield while you're lying next to me, kissing me and just simply holding my hand, you'd find that I love and want you."

I kissed her forehead and put my finger under her chin so that I could raise her face to look into my eyes. "You have no idea what you do to me. Do you?"

Bella closed her eyes, shielding her most expressive feature from my searching eyes. "You can lie in your mind. I know you can. You'd do it just to make me feel better," she whispered, her delicate sweet scent of her breath fanning across my face.

I tensed, tasting her scent on my tongue and at the back of my throat. Bella sensed the minute change in my body and backed away slowly.

"I guess you're right. You first want me for my blood. I'll go now." Then she was gone.

"Bella!" I screamed and ran, following her scent.

_How is she moving so fast?_

"Bella, please don't run away from me. I wouldn't hurt you." I ran where her scent suddenly stopped, and I couldn't figure out in what direction she had gone.

"God, Edward, what the hell did you do now?" Alice asked, coming toward me with Jasper by her side.

"She just disappeared," I said, trying to calm myself.

"She's fine, she's heading home. She's just getting ready for class, but you have to give her time. She doesn't seem to understand what she really means to you, and to us, for that matter. We have to show her that we don't see her like she thinks we do," Alice explained.

"I never said anything to her to make her think that I felt she _belonged _to me," I said, going over the conversation in my head.

Jasper cocked an eyebrow and shook his head. "You never said anything, but did you do anything?"

I shook my head.

"Edward, you bought her a car, her house, you pay for her groceries, and I know you paid her utility bills. Now think about it. What would that look like to an observer?"

"That I was taking care of my girlfriend," I said, like it was obvious.

Alice and Jasper shook their head and chuckled lightly.

"If we were in Forks, what would they think about her?" Jasper looked at me as he worded his question carefully.

I thought about it. "Oh God, they'd think she was a gold digger or something like that. I can just hear Jessica's and Lauren's thoughts if they saw us together."

Alice nodded. "And what would they think about you doing that for her?"

"That I was doing it for… oh God…" I trailed off. They'd think that I was giving her the world because she was – how would Emmett word it – putting out.

"Exactly. So, you have to understand where Bella is coming from. She's never liked being the center of attention. Now we've thrust her into a life that is very different from what she had before. She's not used to all this attention that we are lavishing on her. We spend money on her even though she forbids us to," Jasper elaborated further.

I nodded. "How do I fix this? I don't want her to be angry with me."

"Just give her time. She'll come to understand why you love her. And frankly, that girl doesn't see herself clearly. But let's just say that class is going to be a little hard for you," Alice said, giggling.

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. _Please tell me she's not planning on doing something._

Alice thoughts were blocked from mine as she continued giggling. Her eyes glazed over, and then she started down right laughing.

"Oh my God, Bella… so funny… can't wait… so much fun…"

Jasper started laughing along with Alice because of the emotions coming off Alice, no doubt.

Alice composed herself and drew out her cell phone, making a call. "Don't say anything, Bella. Edward will hear if you do. The answers are, yes I can help. Yes, I'll call the others. Yes, I'll make sure Carlisle asks the wolves to watch your father while they're gone. Yes, he'll do it just to make it up to you. Yes, I'll tell him."

I glared at Alice as she carried on a one-sided conversation with Bella on the phone. Alice hung up.

"Bella wanted me to tell you, 'See,you don't like being kept in the dark, do you?'" Alice said, sticking out her tongue.

"That's from me. Come now, Jasper. I have some searching and shopping to do."

"Alice," I growled.

"Edward," she growled back.

"Alice, I have every right to know what's going on with _my_ Bella."

Jasper raised his eyebrows rather smugly, and then I realized what I'd said. I groaned. I did see her as mine. All mine. I couldn't help it. The possessive nature I felt toward her was almost animalistic in nature. I felt territorial, and I didn't want anyone encroaching on my territory.

_Shit,_ I cursed in my own mind. She was right.

Alice and Jasper left, telling me the rest of the family was coming soon.

I made it back to my house, but not before checking on Bella, who had already left for class that started in an hour. I noticed her car was still in the driveway. She must've have walked.

I changed quickly into jeans and threw on a sweater, pulling up the sleeves up to my elbows. I thought about stopping somewhere to grab some flowers but thought better of it. I'd be once again buying something to make it up to her. That would not bode over well, I was sure. I grabbed my satchel before I left walking. The sky had finally clouded over as I made it to the campus about ten minutes later.

I followed her scent and found her sitting in the outdoor food court, sitting by herself, eating a salad and drinking a Coke. Her eyes lifted to mine, and what I saw made my heart clench.

She looked defeated.

I approached her, but she shook her head. I sighed and sat on a bench and pulled out a notepad a few tables away from her. I glanced a few times toward her, watching her and aching to sit with her.

_Give me time, please, _she pleaded.

_Bella, please. I just need to be with you._

I noticed her getting up from her seat and throwing her food in a nearby trash bin.

_I don't want you to be with me, for now._

As she left the court, toward our first class, she walked past me, averting her eyes from mine. She had a pair of skinny jeans and a fitted white camisole with a blood red tight vest. No doubt something that Alice had picked out for her to wear. I cringed at the mental barrage of fantasies of some of the other male students around us. This was going to be a long night.

I followed behind a few hundred feet to watch her, following her inside the class. I went to take a seat where we'd sat last time, but Bella sat closer to the bottom of rows of seats near the aisle.

I sat and watched her from afar as the classroom filled with other students. The young man that had thought that Bella had nice legs during our last class waltzed in the room.

I looked away from Bella and listened to the ingrate.

_Well, well, well. Its looks like not all is well in paradise. Asshole. Now's my chance._

I held back a growl as my fingers clenched around my knee. I watched as his eyes lingered a little too long on Bella's chest before descending, taking in the entire length of her body. He took the seat beside her, and it seemed that she wasn't aware of his presence. Bella shifted in her seat and bent down to retrieve a pen from her bag.

Through his eyes I could see that he was looking at her backside as she bent down, and he got a damn eyeful of black lace. The onslaught of fantasies that this image invoked in this little _boy_ was enough for me to tear off his arms… hell, all his appendages.

_Calm down, Edward. I can feel your hostility from out here. _Jasper had apparently been sent by Alice to keep me calm. Apparently, I was going to act out on this boy.

I noticed Bella blush as the little man sitting beside her told her his name. _Adam. _Bella's eyes flickered to mine and she gave me a small smile. My guess was that she was also feeling my hostility. I sighed, feeling waves of serenity coming not only from Bella but Jasper.

_Now what, Edward, I'm not allowed to have friends outside of your family?_

Is that what she thought? It was illogical that she wouldn't make friends, but did she have to make friends with men that only wanted to get into her pants?

_Edward, it's fine. I know exactly what he's thinking about. I have no intention of acting out any of his fantasies – with him.'_

I understood the innuendo in her words and shivered. That earned a peel of her laughter inside my head from her and Jasper.

'_Thanks, Jasper, I can handle it from here.'_

'_That I'm sure of, little lady. I'll see you two at home.'_

I rolled my eyes at her and concentrated on keeping my eyes ahead. Anything to help dispel the jealousy coursing through my body as Bella introduced herself to the boy named Adam.

The moment their hands touched, Bella's eyes glazed over, and a vision played into her head.

_Victoria, James's mate, hovered over the quivering boy whose hands were bleeding as he scrambled to crawl away from her. His hands continued to bleed as glass cut into his palms in the dark alleyway._

"_Victoria, really, you should stop playing with your food," a voice from a dark corner behind her whispered._

_Victoria cackled and turned to her lover and grinned. "Now, where's the fun in that?"_

_James laughed along with her as he stepped from behind her into the light. Adam's hand came to his mouth as he screamed in horror, aware of their eyes. Black rimmed with crimson._

_James tsked. "None of that now. It's too late. You're already dead."_

_James pounced, landing with a sickening crunch onto Adam's chest, ending his screams._

I could hear Bella's heart rate double as she replayed the vision to see where it would take place.

_Bella, calm down. He's looking at you. You need to say something._

I projected my thoughts, aware that both Jasper and Alice were already outside, waiting for class to end.

Bella smiled at Adam and let go of his hand. Adam scrunched his brow in confusion and alarm. Bella's sudden grimace of pain while seeing the vision, alerted him that something was wrong. He turned in his seat, and I quickly looked at the professor.

_She's in love with him. I'm making her uncomfortable. Oh well. I don't want to hurt her._

He returned his attention to his notebook and started taking notes. He chanced a glance at Bella, who was still going through the vision, looking for anything to tell us something to help save the boy.

The vision stopped suddenly when Adam's hand covered his own mouth in horror. He was wearing a watch. The watch showed us the date and time of his attack.

He was going to die in three days.

James and Victoria were coming soon.

We knew the when but we didn't know the where.

_Edward, I've seen the same vision. I don't think it's here. There's a newspaper in the trash beside him; it's a local paper for a small town nearby._

Alice explained this as Bella continued searching the vision until she focused on the paper.

"Adam, are you from around here?" Bella asked quietly, so as not to be overheard by anyone else.

"I live on campus, but I'm originally from a small town further south, about an hour away," Adam said, glancing at Bella. "You?"

"I'm from Florida."

"Wow, this must be a little different for you, then," Adam said, amused.

Bella laughed, nodding. "You have no idea." I grumbled. Fishing for information did not have to involve flirting.

"So, what is the name of this tiny town you're from? I like small towns, the homey feeling and all."

Adam chuckled. "Well, homey is the way to describe Laden."

_We're on it, Edward. We'll go out there tonight to see if they are around or at least try to find where this will take place,_ Jasper thought before taking Alice's hand, and through his eyes he was asking her if she was ready to face James.

Alice nodded, and they left hand in hand through the darkening campus. With the information that James knew who Alice was, Jasper had been tirelessly searching records to find more about Alice's past.

He hadn't found anything yet.

Bella projected her thoughts of fear for Alice and Jasper but claimed that she didn't foresee any problems. But she was still worried, since it was possible that James knew of Alice's gift and would know how to work around them.

I knew her mind was open to my thoughts, so I tried to calm her worries.

_Love, don't worry about Alice and Jasper. They can take care of themselves. Despite his knowledge of her visions, it doesn't mean that she won't be able to see something._

Bella nodded minutely, catching the attention of Adam again. He followed her gaze and locked eyes with me and gave me a small smile.

_Poor guy, he looks a little upset. I don't like being the other guy. Maybe I should ask her what's wrong._

"Um… Bella, I can see that you're upset about something. Are you okay?"

Through his vision I could see a pink blush color her cheeks, and she sighed. "I must really be an open book, huh?"

Adam gave her a smile and a nod. "Just a little."

"Everything will be fine." Bella smiled. A smile that reached her eyes.

"Yes. Everything will work itself out. Now, about my hometown. There's an evening baseball game this weekend. Would you and your boyfriend like to join us?"

Bella's smile widened. "Us?"

"I'm dating this girl in my next class. Well, I wouldn't say dating… more like I'm following her around like a puppy. But she's flirting with me. That should mean something, right?" Adam looked expectant, hoping for reassurance.

"Have you asked her to join you?" Bella asked as a smile tugged on lips.

Adam's face saddened, and he shook his head. Bella chuckled a little. "Ask her to join you and some friends. I'm sure it would put her at ease that others will be joining you. With that said, you also have to make it clear that _you _are there with her."

Visions of Adam asking a pretty girl with sandy blonde hair played in her mind just as Adam made the decision to ask her. She said yes in the vision. But then I thought about the previous vision and realized that the attack might very well happen the same weekend. Bella also came to the same realization. Another vision came into her head when she decided to have us join Adam.

Both Adam and this girl were attacked. But before the death had taken Adam, there was a sharp keening noise and growling in the darkness. Then the agony of burning.

He was changing.

Bella locked eyes with my own and blocked a vision from me. But she whispered lowly so that only I would hear.

"_He's essential to my survival."_

What? How could he be the key to her surviving?

I didn't understand, and Bella refused to open her mind to me to elaborate.

"Adam, Edward and I would love to join you. In fact, most of Edward's family is visiting. They happen to love baseball. Do you mind if we all come?"

Adam smiled. "The more the merrier."

Bella muttered under her breath. "You have no idea."

Impatiently, I waited until Adam and Bella came out of the classroom after exchanging numbers. They came over to me, and Bella introduced Adam to me.

"Hello, Adam. It's nice to meet you."

"Hello, Edward. I, um, invited you and Bella to a baseball game this weekend."

I smiled and put my arm around Bella's waist, pulling her closer to me. "That sounds like fun. My family and I love baseball."

"See, I told you I could make friends," Bella said, looking up at me.

Adam looked a little confused. "Huh?"

"Sorry, Adam. But I can't seem to make friends when he's around." Bella elbowed my ribs, putting her telekinesis strength behind it, making me cough slightly. "People seem to find him intimidating."

Adam laughed. "Well, he does have a protective stance around you whenever I've seen you two together." He winked at us. I shook my head.

"Possessive is more like it. But alas, there is nothing I can do about it. Now, Adam, you're running late for the special lady."

Adam smiled and said his goodbyes before taking off down the hall. I turned to Bella and glared while she wore a perfectly composed face. I rolled my eyes and took her hand to walk to our next class.

"Stop being so grumpy. If I can get past my anger you can get past me flirting to get information."

We took our seats; Bella took out her notebook and started on notes while the professor started his lecture.

_Edward, stop being such a sourpuss. I'll tell you everything once Jasper and Alice get back. They'll be home soon._

I looked at her, a little surprised. I was sure if she had seen the vision, Alice had to have seen it too.

_She didn't see the vision. I'm not sure why. I think it has to do with the fact that Adam is human. I'm closer to what he is so, I can see him more clearly.'_

I nodded, but now I needed to clear the air between us. _I'm sorry about earlier._

_What was it that caused you to tense that way?_

I sighed and shifted in my seat slightly so that my body was angled toward her body. _I tasted your scent on my tongue, and it was just unexpected.'_

_But we've kissed and you've managed. What made it so different then?_

_I'm not sure. I think I was afraid that I may never get over the urges of the monster within me._

Bella sighed and nodded. I placed my hand on hers and brought it to my thigh. She sighed again and squeezed. I smiled at her, which she returned.

_I love you, _I whispered in my thoughts.

Bella's smile widened. "I know."

We went through the rest of our classes, and I waited for her outside of the only class we didn't take together, Creative Writing.

She smiled as she came out and walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. She looked up at me through her long lashes.

"Hi," she said sweetly.

"Hi," I said, smiling at her brightly.

"I'm ready to go home. It's been a long day." I nodded and took her hand and walked home. She talked adamantly about some of the projects that she was going to have to do in her Creative Writing course.

We arrived at her house, and she searched for something suitable to sleep in. I walked into her kitchen and made her a snack while she took her shower.

Suddenly, I heard Bella screaming from her bathroom. I ran to her, not even taking note of the strength I used to open the door as it broke off the hinges.

Bella was on the tile floor, clutching her head and screaming. She quieted and slowly stood up. I stopped breathing.

There Bella stood, completely naked. Her skin was flushed from the warm water. She was so beautiful. I couldn't help myself as my eyes, of their own accord, raked her goddess-like form, from her bared collarbones, the soft curves of her breasts, to the flat expanse of her torso. A low growl rumbled in my chest as my eyes descended further to the flare of her hips to the small triangle of dark curls, and then down the length of her slender delectable legs. A vision had just finished playing in her head.

She was going to die in two weeks. I looked into Bella's eyes, filling with tears. Visions continued to swirl in her head. No matter what decision she made to change her future, she still died.

We were fighting death.

Death wanted to claim her. And it wouldn't stop until it had her.

We didn't have time.

I rushed to her, pushing her into the wall behind her. I crashed my lips against hers. Bella's hands went to my hair, tugging at it harder, fueling my desire for her further. My tongue slid against her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth enough for me to slip inside.

I groaned and pushed my body harder against her. I felt all the curves of her soft, pliable body, and the warmth was amazing.

We didn't have time to practice. Death was coming for her. I had no idea if we could stop it. I had to do something.

"Edward," she whispered as I pulled away to kiss the skin along her neck. My hands descended from her arms and slid down her body, grazing her supple breasts before resting on her hips.

"Yes," I gasped as I felt her hands gliding down my clothed chest.

"If we do this now, for some reason I don't see our future," Bella said as I continued kissing her, lapping my lips and tongue along her collarbone.

"Do I kill you?" I had to know. If I killed her while in this act, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

"No, I see us afterward. We're both fine, but everything is unclear after the two weeks." Bella gasped as I gently nipped at her chest.

"You survive after we…" I trailed off, aware that my lips were just inches from her hardening nipple.

"Yes," she gasped as I placed my lips over her left nipple, groaning from the sweet taste.

"That's good enough for me," I whispered against her nipple as it hardened further against my cold lips.

"Me too," Bella said. I looked up at her into her eyes, searching for any doubt. I didn't find any.

For that I was thankful.

* * *

**AN: Thanks to lisa89 for your beta skills. Erica**


	15. Instinct

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Fifteen – Instinct**

* * *

I swept her off her feet and slowly carried her toward her bedroom. Our eyes remained locked as I quietly tried to become accustomed to the feel of her warm body pressed so intimately against mine.

I wanted more. I wanted to be closer. I was running on instinct and self-preservation. I needed Bella to survive. If she left this earth, I wouldn't hesitate to find a way to follow her. My thoughts all ran together, starting to blend and blur.

My lips lightly kissed hers, pulling her bottom lip into my mouth, sucking lightly. Bella moaned softly and closed her eyes. The cold tip of my tongue slipped inside her warm mouth. A growl started to build up in my chest.

_She tastes so sweet._

Bella moaned again, as I laid her on the bed and pressed my body over hers. I felt every curve of her soft body against the hard planes of my own. Her hands stroked the back of my head softly, and then her nails dragged against my scalp. I tensed slightly, enjoying the alarming sensation of her nails against my stone flesh.

Sensing my change, Bella backed off slowly. "Bella, it's fine... it just felt so good," I gasped, pulling away from her lips. I kissed along her jawline and descended further, licking and nipping gently against her neck.

"Edward," Bella gasped, pulling at my shirt. I quickly discarded my shirt and in doing so, I was once again given a full view of her naked body.

I took a deep breath while Bella's cheeks flushed, and her hands went to cover her chest. I shook my head and gently pulled her arms away and leaned down, kissing her lips.

"You're beautiful," I whispered, peppering her face with small kisses. Bella's hands clutched onto my back, bringing me closer.

I hissed slightly as I felt her warm chest against my cold body. I groaned and thrust my tongue in her mouth again.

I couldn't take it anymore, my control was wavering. I felt everything, her body, her blood rushing in her veins, her beating heart, all under my fingertips.

_All mine._

My hands wandered down her arms to her warm chest. I grazed my thumb over her pebbled peak, catching her moan in my mouth. Bella bucked her hips against mine. I grunted deeply.

I noticed that I still had too much clothes on. Bella's hands slid from my back to my chest. Her warm, delicate touch explored every dip and curve of my torso. Her hands dipped further, exploring the soft hair just under my navel. A tiny finger circled my navel, causing another growl to rip through my body.

I pulled away from her mouth and fanned my cool breath against her soft pink nipple. I watched with deep fascination as the skin puckered and her chest became covered in tiny raised bumps.

I chuckled at the effect I was having on her body.

"What's so funny?" she asked her hands still on my abdomen.

"Nothing really, I just love that I can affect you like this," I said just before taking her nipple in my mouth.

Bella mewled, arching her back closer to me. The fingernails of her exploring hands scratched from my navel all the way down to the waistband of my jeans. I groaned, loving the sensation. I bucked my hips against her naked center, causing another shiver to tremble through our bodies.

"Oh God… Edward," Bella gasped. Her fingers quickly flicked open the top button of my jeans.

My breathing hitched when I felt her warm hand touch me over the fabric of my jeans.

I growled, trying to control myself. "Wait," I said against the skin of her right breast. The instinct to take what I wanted was so powerful. It was overwhelming me. She pulled away and stilled. Her chest heaved with every labored breath she took.

"Let me do that," I said. I pulled away completely, giving the moment I needed to control myself. I stood up from the bed, closing my eyes. I slowly removed my jeans, tossing them aside.

I heard her gasp and her heart rate pick up. She could see me. She was watching me. I heard her move and shift on the bed. My eyes fluttered open, and I met with her warm eyes looking at my face.

"You're beautiful," she whispered, taking my face in her hands. Kneeling on the edge of the bed, she pressed her lips against my own.

I allowed myself to get lost in the warmth and pure bliss of her kiss. The burning in my throat was just a whisper in my thoughts. I needed to concentrate on her. Not on my thirst. _Just her…_

My hands slid down her arms, the sides of her body and came to rest on the flare of her hips. I pulled away from her mouth, kissing her lightly. "Bella, you need to tell me if I hurt you. I need to know if I'm holding you too hard, or if..."

"Do you want me to just put my shield down?" she asked sweetly. Her gaze rested on my face before placing a kiss on my jaw. She continued placing small kisses on my facr, descending further, to my neck.

"Yes, I'd love to know what you're thinking." I groaned, tightening my grip on her hips.

I could feel her cheeks flush. I pulled away, watching her face flush further. "What?" I asked, kissing her warm cheek.

"Um… I'm not sure you _want_ to know what I'm thinking."

"Why?"

"Ugh... um... Oh God." Bella huffed. "Fine. I'll let you in. Don't say I didn't warn you."

I chuckled. "I always want to know what you're thinking." I pushed her gently back onto the bed, hovering over her body. Our legs were intertwined together, our chest leveled with each other and our hips pressed together. My erection was pressed against her warm thigh.

I groaned softly, laying my head in the center of her chest. "Oh Bella, you're so warm."

"_Kiss me, Edward." _Her thoughts came into my mind, soft and whimpering.

I looked up at her, her eyes lidded with desire, love and trust.

"_I trust you, Edward. We belong together,"_ she thought. I nodded and pressed my lips against hers. Our hands started to explore each other slowly.

I cupped one of her breasts in one of my palms. They were so soft and warm, the weight pleasant.

"_Your cold body feels amazing against my burning skin,"_ Bella moaned softly in her thoughts.

Interesting, she liked the frigid temperature of my body. Testing a theory, I blew a breath of cool air from my lips down the valley of her breasts. I watched with rapt attention the small goose bumps that rose all the way down past her navel.

I smiled, chuckling slightly. I swirled my tongue slowly under her breast until I reached her nipple.

"_Stupid good-at-everything vampire," _Bella's thoughts grumbled.

I chuckled further. "I must admit, love. Your open mind is actually making this –" I brushed my fingers over her navel to the soft curls of her sex "– easier." I groaned, feeling the evidence of her arousal.

Bella huffed and then retaliated by digging her fingernails down the expanse of my back. I growled and hissed deeply. I glared at her, causing her to smirk.

"Be careful, love," I hissed before crashing my lips on hers. She should be careful. She was playing with fire. A fire that threatened to consume me with the burning need to claim her, to be inside her. My fingers continued their exploration until I was met with her soft folds. I caressed them gently, circling her clit slowly.

Her thoughts were concentrated on how I was making her feel. She loved it and kept craving more. Her hips started to buck against my exploring fingers. I slowly inserted one finger inside her warm. I pulled away from her mouth, groaning deeply. She was so wet, warm and tight. I held still, not only to allow her to grow accustomed to the intrusion but also to allow myself a chance to control myself.

Bella's emotions, lust, desire and overwhelming love was radiating out from her mind and body. Calling me… beckoning me to continue.

I pulled my finger out slightly and then slipped it back in, deeper. I inserted another finger, causing Bella to moan my name, chant-like.

"More," she cried out. I quickened my pace, always aware of her thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I would compensate whenever I felt a whisper of pain.

Pain.

She would bleed when I took her. Would I be able to continue without killing her?

"_I won't bleed. Oh... God... um surgery and examination, broke... ugh... hymen."_

I looked up at her my eyes meeting hers, stilling my ministrations. _"I'm sorry it happened that way, love." _Despite the fact I was thankful that she wouldn't bleed, it wasn't far for her to have gone through that with a complete stranger.

Bella nodded and then closed her eyes as I continued. _"Can I touch you?"_ she asked softly in her thoughts. I gulped, swallowing the venom that had pooled in my mouth. I groaned softly and nodded.

Her hands traveled slowly down my back, following the natural curve to the small of my back. Her fingers splayed and descended further over my backside.

I groaned and bucked my hips against her. My erection nestled between our bodies, twitched. I needed to get inside her. My unoccupied hand roamed over her supple breasts as I kissed her deeply. Bella's body started to tighten as the walls of her core clenched around my fingers. I curved my fingers inside her, tapping her walls, searching for that spot.

Bella gasped suddenly, and I knew I had found it. Her mind continued chanting my name as I quickened and deepened my pace, always aware of touching that spot, while my thumb pressed hard against her clit.

Suddenly, Bella's body stilled and her entire upper body arched violently as she came. Her face was flushed, her eyes closed and her mouth parted as she inhaled a deep breath before exhaling deeply.

So damn beautiful, she was.

Evidence of her release flowed from her body onto my hand. I slowly removed my fingers, curious... I needed a taste. Bella's eyes fluttered open, no doubt aware of my intentions, her thoughts still open to me. She remained still, watching me. I slowly took my fingers and brought them to my lips. I inhaled deeply and groaned, sucking on them slowly.

_Fuck._

Bella tensed. She heard me curse, something I had never done before in her presence. Then her arousal permeated the air. She liked it. She smiled and nodded, blushing.

"Love, you taste delicious," I moaned, licking my fingers.

Bella bit her lip and blushed, rolling her eyes. Her hands pulled me back to her body. She caressed my backside, and then traveled forward. I moaned, stilling my body as I allowed her access, pulling away from her body slightly. Her hands glided forward, touching my erection tentatively. At first, it was just a fingertip against the tip. I growled, a shiver running down my back.

Her hand wrapped around my length tightly. I moaned, pressing my head against her.

"_I'm sorry," _she whispered in her thoughts. I shook my head. She shouldn't be sorry for making me feel so good.

Hearing her thoughts, feeling everything she was feeling. Her gifts were making this more exciting and harder at the same time.

It was taking every morsel of control to not just plunge into her. Deep and hard.

Bella gasped, and her thoughts told me just how she felt about my urges. "Do it," she gasped, pumping me, sliding the head of my cock against her warm core.

"Fuck," I groaned. "You're playing with fire," I reminded her, growling lowly.

"I don't care. I need you," she gasped, bucking her hips against me. I growled again, cradling her head in my hand and crushing my mouth on hers. I bucked my hips, showing her that I wanted it.

_Showing her, I needed her._

I bucked again and her hands left my cock, whimpering when I positioned myself between her bent legs. Bella moaned softly, her hands now running through my hair. I looked up at her, looking deeply in her eyes. This was it. She had to be sure. "Are you sure, Bella?" I would stop if she asked me to, but it would likely kill me to do so.

Bella nodded. "I love you."

I smiled, kissing her lips softly. "I love you, too."

I slowly pushed into her. Groaning, I felt an overwhelming urge to thrust forward, hard and fast. I held it back, aware of Bella's need to become accustomed to me. She whimpered, swirling her hips a bit. I moaned and slid a little further in.

Oh God._ So warm…_

"_So cold inside me, it's like ice touching fire."_

I growled, looking at her. "More," she whispered, her eyes locked with mine. She licked my bottom lip, causing me to moan. I parted my lips further, licking her lip before exploring her warm mouth. I slowly thrust forward until I was completely inside her body.

Bella tensed, biting her lower lip, gasping. "Just give me a moment."

I nodded against her neck, fighting the urge to move. I licked and kissed a sensitive spot under her ear. Bella moaned before moving her hips slightly. I gasped, stilling her hips with my hands.

"_I'm fine. You can move." _Bella's thoughts filled my head. I didn't sense any pain in her mind, so I pulled out, enjoying the friction. I thrust back in, gasping, always keeping Bella's thoughts, changes to her heart rate in my mind to help gauge her reactions. Cautious of possible pain I could cause her.

"You think too much," Bella gasped, arching her back and meeting my hips, taking me in deeper. I groaned, this time thrusting in harder and faster.

"Yes," she cried out. Her fingers dug into my shoulders as our hips continued moving together in harmony. The scent of her arousal, her blood and sweat was overpowering my sense of smell. I stopped breathing to see if it would out stomp the urge to bite something. My eyes locked onto her pulse point on her neck. I could see through the thin veil of pale skin, her rushing blood causing her skin to lift up and down... Mmm...

Bella's hands tugged at my hair roughly. "Edward," she whispered, kissing my lips gently. Oh God, I closed my eyes and kissed her lips feverishly.

We both knew where that line of thought could've led.

Bella's touches turned more gentle and loving. I did the same, our eyes locked as I concentrated on slowing my strokes but deepening them. My hands left her hips, scared that I might bruise her. My arms went over her head, clutching the top edge of the mattress.

Bella moaned deeply, a thin sheen of sweat covering her body. I felt her tighten around me deliciously. I clenched my fingers, digging into the mattress. I groaned and kissed her mouth hard. I continued sucking on her lips and tongue until I felt her start to tremble around me.

She gasped and screamed my name as she came. Her head pressed into the pillow, her eyes closed in ecstasy. Then I felt it.

I felt it all. In my mind, she was screaming my name. Then I felt the immense sense of love, desire and pleasure coming off her. Then I felt the amazing sensation of her climax with me still deep inside was too much. I groaned deeply and thrust one more time before I spilled inside her. The sensation was fucking amazing, sending my senses into overload.

I wasn't sure how or why, but she came again. She clutched her shoulders, her nails attempting to dig into my skin.

"Oh... damn," Bella gasped. Suddenly, all around the room, everything came crashing down. I looked around, confused. Books, her TV, stereo and several other items lay on the floor, broken. I looked back at Bella, who was blushing and biting her lip. I looked at her in question.

"Um... apparently when... um…that happens, my powers kind of have a mind of their own."

I chuckled, I couldn't help myself. She slapped my chest in mock anger. "It could've been worse. It could've been us."

I laughed harder. "If that's the case, it wouldn't be safe to do that again in the house."

Bella glared. "Shut up." She smiled at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. "I knew you could do it."

I kissed her lips softly. "I love you, my beautiful Bella."

She hummed, and then she moved her hips slightly. I hissed slightly, since I was still inside her. She moaned. "So quick," she gasped.

"I'm a vampire, love. So, yes, a quick recovery," I said a bit embarrassed at insatiable thirst of a vampires body.

"Well, then." Bella smirked. I shook my head.

"Love, you're going to be sore. I'm fine." I made to pull away, but Bella used her powers against me. She restrained me against her body.

"I'm fine." She winked, and then I felt... fuck... she was getting warmer.

_Ugh, fucking hell – so good._

Bella giggled in my head. _"I can heal, remember?"_

I groaned, kissing her mouth and starting to move within her.

"At this rate... you'll never get some sleep tonight." I gasped. The warmth of her body and being inside her felt, so good.

"Oh God... Edward," Bella moaned, tugging at my hair, urging me to continue.

Bella succumbed to sleep a couple of hours later. As much as I wanted to lay there with her, I could hear Alice and Jasper waiting for me in the living room.

I covered Bella up with her comforter and quietly picked up all the things on the floor. I dressed quickly and went to meet Alice and Jasper.

Alice was sitting on the couch with a laptop. She smiled at me. "I'm already ordering replacements for the mattress, frames, TV and books she destroyed during –"

"Alice," I warned her.

A cool hand clasped on my shoulder. "Edward, I think you and I have to have a talk about..."

"Jasper!" I elbowed him.

He shook his head, laughing. "With Bella's powers, you had the whole neighborhood, hell, the town."

My eyes widened and he nodded, replaying the memories in his mind.

"When Alice and I arrived, we had no idea what the hell was going on. There were moans and from just about every house. I think she affected the animals too!"

I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Please don't tell her. She'll be mortified."

Alice looked over, rolling her eyes. "We won't, but you're lucky Emmett wasn't here to witness the effects you two had here."

"Oh God. He'd never let us hear the end of it," I grumbled, sitting by Alice on the couch. "When is everyone going to be here?" I asked, covering my eyes with my arm.

"They'll be here tomorrow afternoon," Alice replied, clicking away at Bella's laptop.

"Where is everyone staying?" I asked, hoping they'd get hotel rooms. There was no way Emmett would understand my need to watch Bella sleep. That I'd like to explore Bella every chance I got.

"Carlisle and Esme are staying at a hotel, and Rosalie and Emmett will be staying with Jasper and me at your house," Alice answered, checking out on a website to the grand total of $867.89.

I rolled my eyes at her. She shrugged her shoulders. "What she needs is to get new bedding. The two sets she has are just not enough."

"Fine, but you know she won't like it."

"So, what did you find out in Laden?"

Jasper sighed. "James and Victoria haven't been there yet. We searched the entire town and surrounding areas. Nothing. We found the alley. It's between an Italian restaurant and a book store.

"Did you have any visions like Bella's? About this Adam?"

Alice shook her head. "I'm sorry, Edward. I'm not sure what's going to happen to Bella. I got the vision where she dies because she falls and hits her head. But that's it."

I sighed. "She said that everything became unclear after two weeks once I decided..."

Alice smirked. "What's the matter, Edward? You can have sex, but you can't say the word?"

I glared at her, earning a chuckle from Jasper. "Alice, it's not just sex with Bella and me, so drop it. But she tried running through different possible decisions, and no matter what she decided, she still died. Then suddenly blank. Does it mean that she dies before the two weeks, or something else?"

Alice looked deep in thought, but in reality, she was searching our futures. And sure enough, when she tried to get past Bella's future and mine, it disappeared in the cover of dark clouds.

"Maybe the wolves are involved. We all know Alice can't see them," Jasper offered.

"Hmm... that's possible. Maybe one of them made a decision to come after talking to Carlisle," Alice said.

I checked the clock. Only a few minutes had passed. I was aching to go back to Bella. Alice touched my shoulder. "Go. Jasper and I are heading to your house."

I smiled and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Alice."

Alice smiled mischievously. "Before you go, you need to watch this." She put the laptop on my lap and clicked on a button.

My eyes widened. "She... this! This is how she wants me to make it up to her!"

Jasper and Alice laughed as they got up to leave. "Don't forget, Emmett has been trying to get you into that red leather suit since 1982."

I watched in horror at the man dancing the screen, grabbing his crotch, and singing, 'Cause this is thriller!'

_Damn it._

_

* * *

_

**AN: Beta'd by lisa89, thank you. Erica**


	16. Catalyst

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Sixteen – Thrills, Chills and Spills**

* * *

Now, don't get me wrong, I was and had always been a Michael Jackson fan since his appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. He had raw natural talent that was displayed in every word he sang and in every move he danced.

But Emmett had been goading me to wear that leather suit for decades when he'd bought one, insisting I wear it for Halloween.

He'd had it in his closet ever since. It was the "if Edward loses a bet" plan. I hadn't lost a bet, of course – it helped to be able to read Alice's mind. Bella must have picked this from either Emmett or the little fairy herself. Traitors.

I sighed, knowing that I had no other choice. I'd do anything for Bella. If I had to dress up and dance for her, I would. I'd even do _all _the dance moves if it meant I would hear her laugh or see her smile. I smiled, suddenly aware that it didn't matter if Emmett would think I was making a complete ass of myself. As long as Bella was happy, I'd be willing to take it.

I closed the laptop and checked the entire house to make sure everything was locked up and quickly checked the neighborhood to see if there were any suspicious minds around.

All seemed quiet in the neighborhood. I made my way back to Bella's room. I had cleared up everything broken and ruined and thrown it out after Bella had fallen asleep. I quickly scanned the room. There was nothing left that we hadn't nailed down.

After Bella's unintentional use of her powers while she slept, Jasper and I had both decided that it would be safer to nail down anything that was heavy. That meant her desk, dresser and mirror. I quickly discarded my clothes, knowing she'd be upset if I wasn't lying by her.

The moment my body lay beside her, she curled up against me and sighed. I closed my eyes and welcomed the warmth of her small body. Upon closing my eyes, I realized that I could openly hear Bella's dreams.

That had never happened before. I concentrated on her thoughts. It sort of felt like I was trying to see through a filter. There were images that were unclear and unfocused, while others looked sharper.

_**Bella's Dream…**_

_There was a hill in the distance with a lone figure standing, wearing a red hooded cloak. The figure's head was down. The face was cast in shadows._

_Suddenly_, a_n army of black cloaked figures circled around the figure._

_Though I had never met any of the people in this dream, I knew of them. I'd seen them in Carlisle's memories and paintings._

_Aro, was among them, a leader among those that believed they were above all others. There were others, those that Carlisle knew were part of The Guard. There were two small figures among them, but the sense of power coming from them was enough to intimidate even me._

_The cloaked figure raised its head, looking at Aro. Though I could not see the face, something was oddly familiar._

_A pale hand was extended toward Aro, which he took immediately. With his hand clasped around the small hand, his face became hard and angry. He looked like he was in pain._

_The pale figure smiled suddenly, her whole face lit up._

"_Thank you, Aro. You've given me all I needed."_

_Then suddenly, all hell broke loose. Every figure fell to their knees, screaming in agony._

_Aro roared and screamed clutching his head, his eyes still fixated on the figure._

"_For their lives, I will spare none in my wake."_

_Two hands clasped the edges of the hood, removing it slowly. Dark mahogany hair fell in long, full curls spilling down her back. Her red eyes were cold and harbored no soul. It was gone, not for what she had become but what had happened._

_All the bodies burst into flames, turning into putrid ashes as she stepped over them, sparing no one, as she had claimed._

_A breeze lifted the still-burning ashes of my kind and they swirled around her as she continued down a trail. Once she came to her destination she called out in a whisper._

"_I'm coming, my love."_

_Then she disappeared in a plume of flames._

Bella sat up screaming and sobbing. She shook her head as I took her in my arms.

"It's just a nightmare, Bella," I said, trying not only to reassure her but also myself. "Nothing you saw in that dream is possible."

"How can you say that? All those vampires they're real, aren't they?"

"Yes."

"Why? Why would they kill you and your family?"

"Bella, it wasn't real. Please, calm yourself."

She continued to cry in my arms, and then my phone rang. I quickly picked it up from the floor before answering. "Alice."

"I had the same vision."

Then silence as she hung up.

Bella cried, reading the thoughts in my head. It wasn't a dream, it was an actual vision. I took her in my arms, allowing her to cry herself to sleep.

They were coming for her, and for some reason she was standing alone.

As she slept, my mind went over her vision continuously as I tried to figure out why and when. She had obviously been changed, and her eyes were red, indicating that she was a newborn. Or was she? Was it possible she had been on a human blood diet in the vision?

Even so, none of it made real sense. Why would she be alone? Why would my family and I be gone? Why would the Volturi choose to kill us?

Bella stood as a liability to our kind, but I knew enough of Aro to know that he wouldn't want Bella dead. He would want her to become one of us, so that he could claim her. She would be a prized possession to him.

Bella woke up slowly as the morning rays filtered through her window. Her brown eyes fluttered open, our eyes locking.

"Say something," she whispered.

"You live," I said, hoping she understood the statement. We'd both been worried about her last vision, where she died. This new vision meant that she would live past the two weeks where her visions stopped, meaning that she'd live through her transformation. It also meant that I didn't kill her because of my thirst.

She nodded but hesitated. "Someone made the decision to destroy your family, which must have triggered the vision. If the vision is accurate, they must have succeeded."

I sighed, touching her face with my fingertip, tracing her full lips. "Yes," I whispered, "but you live."

Bella shook her head. "I will not live an eternity without you, Edward. What is forever if you are not there by my side?"

I pulled her in my arms and lay on my back, placing her on my chest, "I wouldn't want forever without you either, Bella."

"I'm trying to understand why. If my future suddenly disappeared after two weeks, what changes that future? Why can't I see what happens after that? To suddenly see a future that seems far off, why? Can the wolves be involved? That may be the only reason why we can't see the attack on your family."

I shook my head. "I don't know, Bella. What we do know is that James and Victoria know of Alice's visions, maybe…"

"He decided last night to go to the Volturi," she said.

I nodded, causing Bella to ponder for a moment. "He's playing mind games. He's trying to scare us into running or hiding. He'd probably thinks that we'll make mistakes if we do."

"That makes sense. He may be using Alice's visions to his advantage."

Bella sighed and laid her head on my chest. My fingers ran through her hair. "Your family?"

"Will be here in a few hours," I answered.

"Edward," she whispered lowly.

"Hmm." My arms tightened around her as I smelled her scent sweeten further.

She kissed my bare chest and continued her ascent, taking my nipple in her mouth. I groaned, throwing my head back in her pillows.

"Bella," I gasped, stopping her ministrations before she continued further. "Not here, love." My hands skimmed up her back before running through her soft hair.

She looked up at me in question. "Why?"

"Trust me, not here."

Bella's eyes narrowed, about to object, but I brought her lips to mine. Her objection was lost in her soft moan as my tongue slipped into her mouth with ease, caressing the soft muscle.

I quickly wrapped the sheets around our bodies and ran out of the house. She didn't seem aware of what I was doing as I made my way to the meadow. I came to soft halt just under a canopy of trees and pulled away from her lips just enough to taste her skin along her jaw and neck.

"Wha… when… oh God, Edward," she rambled incoherently. She stopped talking and allowed herself to be lost in the sensations.

My lips continued down her neck, the quickening staccato of her pulse under my tongue. Careful to keep my teeth from her skin, I sucked at the point. Her soft sounds increased in volume just as her hands started to wander. I growled slightly when her hands tugged urgently on my hair.

Even though I'd left her thoroughly exhausted just twelve hours ago, she was seeking more. Now that I knew I could handle touching, feeling her, I would never deny her. As if I could or would.

There was no going back to light kisses and touches. My own heaven here on Earth was in her arms. Holding her, touching her and loving her, I knew then her lifetime was no longer enough.

Bella suddenly gasped as a vision whirled in her mind…

_We were running along one another, her hair whipping behind her. Though I was the fastest in my family, with her newborn strength and power she was faster. Her laughter could be heard while she passed me and dove off the cliff. I heard the splash of water before I even made the jump._

_The cold water was barely noticeable against my skin as it rushed around me until I found the surface of the water. I looked around me, but she was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, I felt her small hands tugging at my jeans._

_I laughed, diving underwater, and found her grinning mischievously with my torn jeans in her hands. I swam toward her and took her in my arms, our shredded clothes floating around us, forgotten, as her lips met mine._

The vision swirled to a stop, and I watched Bella's eyes water just as a smile graced her lovely face. "You've made your choice."

I had made my choice – I wanted forever.

I returned my lips to hers with an intensity that would have bruised her easily. Her lips warmed under my own, automatically healing her.

I groaned, enjoying the pleasant heat radiating from her. Her whole body tingled with same intense warmth as I pulled us down to our knees. Laying the sheet on the ground below us, I gently laid her back. I hovered over her soft, warm body, acclimating to the intense sensations that were brought forth with every moan, gasp and touch.

I continued tasting every exposed inch of soft skin as I descended down her body. I started a wet, tingling trail across her collarbone, at the hollow of her throat, lavished attention to each raised peak until I swirled my tongue around her navel.

With every heavy breath I took, I smelled her musky, sweet scent from her arousal. It was driving me crazy. I wanted to give her sex the same attention as the rest of her body, but I worried that it might be too much. I laid my head on her belly, trying calm the tension in my body. I really wanted to taste her.

Bella's fingers tenderly ran through my hair as I reigned in my control.

"Edward, I will be able to stop you if you hurt me," she whispered.

I shook my head. "I really want to but…" I muttered, unable to continue. Her aroma was so strong. "You won't be able to stop me, Bella. You have to understand that," I growled, as anger ripped through me. I could hurt her, she must know that.

Suddenly, I was forcefully thrown from her body and hit a tree about one hundred yards from Bella.

I looked up, and I was met with an awesome sight.

A fallen angel – a very angry angel.

Her hair whipped behind her, the sheet wrapped around her chest and around her hips, the fabric billowing around her. The tips of her toes skimmed the ground floor as leaves swirled around her delicate features.

"Did you expect that, Edward?" She was fierce, but at the same time vulnerable. She still believed that I didn't really want her.

I shook my head and took a tentative step towards her.

"I can fight you off if necessary, Edward. Don't underestimate me because I'm human. In fact, I've been holding back."

My eyes widened. What the hell did that mean? There was something else nagging me, something I wasn't used to feeling.

Fear.

Bella cocked her head to the side, and then her eyes widened. She gasped, covering her mouth and shaking her head. She fell to the ground, and I quickly made my way to her, wrapping my arms around her.

"I felt it. I felt your fear. You fear – me. I'm so sorry. Sorry, please forgive me." I remained quiet as she sobbed lightly against my chest.

"Yes, I do fear you. I won't lie to you. Bella, be honest with me. Could you… kill me if you had to?"

Bella shook her head. "I would never!"

"No, Bella, I know you don't want to. What I'm asking is, could you kill one of us if you had to?"

"You said once that a vampire has to be torn to pieces and then burned," she stated.

"Yes," I said.

"Yes, I can."

"How do you know?"

"I could tear you apart if I wanted to, by using the same force as my restraints. I could also heat up the venom in your body, causing it to ignite."

I shook my head. "I've been with you almost every moment, how do you know these things?"

"Last week, do you remember when you went hunting by yourself?"

I nodded. "Well, I had a vision of how to save me, and I had to do some experiments. Jasper volunteered."

I pulled away to look at her as she continued. "I didn't want to do it. Both Jasper and Carlisle insisted on testing my limits. You should see the obstacle course they are going to set up while they're here. Jasper fears me, I know that much. He's afraid that when I'm a newborn, I'd kill you all."

"How did Jasper volunteer?"

Bella bit her lip nervously. "Um, using my telekinesis I can rip limbs off."

"That's why Jasper had to feed so often last week, not to mention he kept rubbing his right shoulder."

Bella nodded.

"Why did you keep this from me?"

Bella smiled, cocking her eyebrow. I scowled.

"Damn, I really don't like being in the dark."

Bella smiled timidly and laid a circuit of kisses, distracting me. I really wanted to know more about these experiments, and about the other things she was keeping from me. But she was really good in her method of distraction.

"Don't worry, after this weekend everything should be revealed," Bella said cryptically. She pushed me down onto the grass and leaves of the forest floor. She straddled me, her thighs tightening around my torso. I groaned, gripping her hips instinctively, a fire igniting under my fingertips.

"Honey, remove your hands and put them on the ground," Bella whispered as she licked a trail down to my navel.

"Oh… B… Belllllla," I groaned, as her warm center grazed my erection. I restrained my hands on the ground, my finger dug into the pliable dirt. Bella continued licking and nipping my abdominal muscles. Her lips hovered over my hip, laying short licks sporadically.

If she continued this way, I was going to climax before I even managed to get inside her. I groaned, debating on pulling her up. So, I settled on screaming the thought in my head.

She chuckled. She was enjoying this.

Then, I felt her mouth.

"Oh God…" I gasped. The instinct to thrust upward, further into her mouth, was staggering. Bella quickly placed an invisible restraint against my hip, not allowing me to move.

I moaned deeply as her warm tongue swirled around the sensitive head of my erection.

"_Do you want me to stop?" _Her thoughts registered.

"Yes. No. God, no." I should tell her to stop. It wasn't right for her to be doing this. I'd been born and raised as a gentleman, and I should not allow this. Her teeth scraped along the underside of my cock, and all those gentlemanly thoughts flew out the window.

Bella's giggles filled my head as she continued licking along my length. One of her warm hands wrapped around the base, and then she wrapped her lips around me, taking me in. I groaned. The instinct to thrust was thwarted by the hold she had on my hips. I was happy about this, since I couldn't hurt her, but at the same time I was frustrated because I wanted to move with her.

Bella hummed around me, causing an excruciatingly wonderful vibration throughout my erection. I was close, too close.

"Bella, stop. I want to be inside you when –"

"Okay," she whispered. She gave me a few more licks before she started another circuit of exploring with her tongue and lips. Her knees were on each side of my torso, and I realized I still couldn't move my lower body.

"Love… can you… ugh… can't move," I babbled in between pants.

"Mmm, sorry," she moaned softly. I bucked my hips after she released me.

"Bella," I groaned, feeling the wetness coming from her. The urge to taste her was overwhelming. I managed to flip us when I suddenly felt the restraints on me again.

"You won't be able to, Edward," she whispered quietly, as she licked my Adam's apple.

"What… why?"

"I've already seen it. I had to stop you again. You're not ready yet. Soon, I promise."

I groaned in frustration, causing Bella to sit up. I looked up as her as my hands ran up her thighs.

"We have to get you used to me first, Edward. I've seen different scenarios and yes, I have to admit you do hurt me. Then you go all, what does Alice call it, '_emo'_ on me and not touch me for weeks."

"How do I hurt you?"

Bella bit her lip wondering if she should continue. She sighed, "Um… you're a little too rough and break my hip."

My eyes widened, and I was fucking horrorstruck. I wouldn't do that to her. I wouldn't ever.

"I survived and healed in a matter of a week with my powers, but you refused to touch me again until I'm changed."

"You saw all that right now?"

Bella nodded. "Please don't dwell on this. I know how to make sure you don't lose control."

I sighed and nodded. "How's that?"

"Easy. I have to be in control," she purred.

I groaned deeply, running my hands along the inside of her thighs until I met her core. She moaned softly. "Bella," I said huskily.

"Yes," she moaned, my fingers circling her clit.

"I'm tired of dwelling on this."

She moaned again. "So am I." She shifted slightly, and I felt her warmth on the tip of my cock. She eased down on me, and the fingers of my right hand still circled and touched her there. My left hand was on her backside, gripped, and squeezed until she had completely enveloped me.

I groaned and thrust upward, my hands digging into her skin. Bella moaned and threw her head back and sat further back. Her hands ran over mine in warning. I loosened my grip, and she showed me just how much pressure I could exert without hurting her.

All around us leaves and forest debris rose and swirled, as we continued our union. One of my hands stroked over her hip, around her backside to the small of her back. My fingers splayed across the middle of her back pushing her closer to me. I propped myself up on my other arm and kissed her along her neck and chest. Bella mewled as I took one of her pink nipples in my mouth.

Her movements become more urgent, faster and harder as she used my body to bring her closer. Closer to the pleasure she craved and deserved. I thrust upward, gauging and aware of the strength to ensure I didn't hurt her.

Her body started to move against me erratically as she sought her climax. She needed a push to bring her over the edge. My hand on her back grazed her backside and over her hip and rubbed softly against her clit.

She moaned deeply, increasing the force of her movements. I groaned because I was so close, but she needed to cum first.

Unaccustomed to talking like this, I needed something to bring her over the edge. "Bella… ugh… you feel so good. I love watching you like this."

Bella moaned. "Yes, Edward."

My eyes snapped open, and I watched as her eyes fluttered closed as she screamed. Her walls clenched around me. Unable to resist the siren call of her ecstasy and warmth as it flowed around me, I came – hard.

I quickly removed my hands from her and drove them into the ground, roaring as I trembled with the fierce sensation of her around me, spilling inside her.

Bella fell on my chest, panting, sweating, her hair wild and matted around her face. She'd never looked more beautiful, as the flush of her climax claimed her skin.

I wasn't sure how long we lay there, but I knew we needed to get back and cleaned up before my family arrived.

"_Sorry, but I brought you some things. There's a riverbed about a mile north. Get cleaned up," _Alice quipped in my thoughts.

"Oh God, this is so embarrassing," Bella whispered against my chest.

"She can't see us, love."

Bella shook her head. "She saw what happened though, in a vision."

"Yes, she must have."

"Sorry," Alice called out.

"It's fine, Ali. How long do we have?" Bella asked.

"Everyone will be here in about thirty minutes, and no, you don't have time for another round, Edward," Alice said, coming into the clearing just as I threw the sheet around us.

Alice had her hand clasped over her eyes while she sat a brown duffel bag on the ground.

"Oh God, Ali!" Bella cried out, mortified.

"I love my nickname, Bella." Alice said giggling before taking off.

I quickly gathered Bella in my arms along with the bag and ran towards the rushing riverbed. We washed each other up and played in the water for a few minutes before heading back to see my family.

We walked into the living room where my family was waiting. The second Emmett saw me, his whole cool demeanor changed.

He started laughing his ass off.

"Emmett, please don't start," Bella snarled, quite beautifully in fact, causing a stir within my body. Bella turned to look at me, cocking an eyebrow.

"Not now, Edward," she hissed, feeling the lust radiating from me.

Oh.

That little not-so-subtle exchange caused my whole family to laugh. Bella shook her head, her blush coloring cheeks and neck, doing nothing to dispel the urge to run back into the forest again.

"Edward, tone it down," Jasper chastised.

I rolled my eyes and stepped up to wrap my arms around Esme, who was beaming, "Hello, mother," I said, kissing her forehead.

"Edward," she murmured.

We exchanged pleasantries for a while. The whole time Emmett was screaming obscene questions and thoughts in my head. He vibrated with anticipation of the planned events of the weekend.

First, my dance for Bella, which reminded me – I really needed to talk her out of that.

Second, a match between Emmett and my, an experiment to see if Bella could successfully block my powers.

Third, apparently my father and Jasper had some training session for Bella.

Fourth, a baseball game among humans, and then we'd show Bella how we played.

Bella turned her attention to Carlisle. "Did you bring everything?" Carlisle nodded and motioned toward the kitchen counter. The family and I followed behind them. Carlisle started removing lab equipment while Alice came from their car with more of the larger pieces.

"What the hell is going on here?" I asked, frustrated.

"I told you I have a theory to heal my aneurysm before we attempt my transformation," Bella said cautiously. "Carlisle agrees that it's plausible, and we're going to test my ability to do it."

I shook my head in confusion. None of my family seemed to know what was going on beside my father, Bella and Alice.

My father held up a thin beaker with a silvery fluid at the bottom – venom.

Bella took the beaker from my father, placing it in a holding stand. Bella seemed to concentrate on the contents of the beaker.

"How long and what temperature?"

"My lab experiments indicate that the venom starts to evaporate around forty-five degrees Celsius, and you'd need to do it for at least thirty seconds for one ounce."

"Okay, like Edward said, what is going on here?" Esme asked, concern etching her face.

"Time me," Bella said, ignoring my mother's question.

"Go," Carlisle said.

The liquid started to bubble and then it dispersed in the air in tiny molecules. "Perfect, twenty-nine seconds," Carlisle said, smiling at Bella.

"Bring out another sample," Bella said morbidly.

Carlisle complied, unsealing another tube and placing it in the stand. Bella concentrated again, but this time the liquid ignited into blames until it burned off.

"Damn, I can't get a hold of it," Bella cursed through clenched teeth.

I grabbed her arm, turning her toward me. "What the _fuck_ is going on, Bella?"

"Edward," Esme whispered, placing her hand on mine, because I was already bruising Bella's delicate skin.

I took a deep breath and loosened my hold on Bella's arm. "Tell me, now."

Bella bit her lip and looked at Carlisle. His expression was stoic, except his lips were pursed in a thin line. Alice gasped suddenly, her thoughts blocked from me.

I roared, stepping away from them. "You give me hell for keeping something from you, but when you do, it's alright!"

"You were keeping something from me because you felt you need to keep me in the dark to protect me. I'm not doing that."

"The hell you aren't!"

"Calm down, son," Carlisle said calmly.

"I'm keeping quiet not to protect you, but to protect your family."

"What?"

Bella sighed. "The theory I suggested could work or it could kill me."

I looked at her in question.

Heat.

Evaporation.

Venom in a small dosage.

Then I noticed Carlisle with something in his hand. Then all of this became clear.

Bella was right to keep me in the dark because there was no way I would allow them to do this to her.

"Edward, calm down," Bella said. Jasper was by my side, trying to soothe me, and with Bella bombarding me too, it almost worked – almost.

I lunged at Carlisle, causing the syringe in his hand to tumble in the air. Jasper and Emmett grabbed hold of me. I roared and struggled against them.

"Now, Carlisle! Now," Alice screamed. Carlisle's hand curled around the syringe in midair as his other arm curled around Bella.

"I love you," Bella whispered, as my father plunged the needle, cracking her skull, into her head.

I roared, feral, as I watched her eyes fluttered closed, collapsing in my father's arms.

* * *

**AN: Beta's by lisa89, thanks bb! Erica**


	17. Within My Grasp

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter 17 – Within my Grasp**

* * *

I never had the urge to destroy a member of my family – until now. They risked her life and that in my eyes, in my current state of mind, meant that they were my enemies.

Her breathing slowed, her heartbeat was just a murmur of the vibrant sound I'd been accustomed to hear. How could they take her from me?

Hadn't they known I couldn't live without her?

Time passed slowly, every second her eyes remained closed was a second closer to her death. I wasn't aware of what I was doing. Just that Esme was frightened.

Not that I gave a fuck.

I felt the pressure at each of my shoulders, and I knew I was fighting against the armed restraint of my brothers. _Enemies, _I reminded myself.

I roared and windows shuddered, and I quickly popped my shoulder into Emmett's abdomen. Caught by surprise he released me for a millisecond.

It was just enough for me to deliver a crushing blow to Jasper's chest. Carlisle held up his hand in defense as I closed in on him swiftly. Alice suddenly had me in a chokehold, whispering nonsense in my ear.

Nothing came through, not words at least. Visions formed in our minds of Bella's body trembling violently. Suddenly, in reality, Bella gasped in Carlisle's arms. She convulsed, and her back arched in an odd angle. She was having a seizure. Carlisle ignored me as Esme handed him his medical bag.

She was dying. I knew it and so did he.

"Let me go," I whispered in a broken sob. "I just need to hold her before –" Jasper released me, sensing my surrender. I knelt beside Carlisle, the hardwood floor splintering beneath me. "Give her to me." Carlisle opened his mind already apologizing. I shook my head, refusing to listen.

"Get out."

They didn't hesitate, Alice's visions once again failing her.

Bella's trembling subsided, her heart slowing further. There wasn't enough venom in her system to start the change. If she was brain dead, and I changed her body, would she still be there?

No.

This was why she knew we had to heal her before we could attempt a transformation. For a moment, I thought that I could hear her. "I love you, Edward."

"Bella," I cried and held her closely. "Don't leave me. Without you I'm nothing."

More time passed, her heart stopped and I roared. Dry eyes stung with the desire to weep, my chest ached with crippling pain. Something I'd never felt before. She was gone.

I wasn't sure how long I lay on the floor with her in my arms; time meant little to me now. I kissed her still warm lips as dozens of images of how I'd pull off my death came to me then.

"I'll be with you soon, beloved."

I closed my eyes for a moment, the meadow from the dream we shared in the hospital filled my vision.

"_Edward," I heard her sweet voice. I turned but was blinded by the light, the sun brighter here, and no shadows to be seen._

"_Bella," I whispered and found her standing in the middle of the clearing, amongst the wild flowers. She smiled and held out her hand. _

_She tugged on my hand playfully until we tumbled in the grass with me on top of her. "I love you," I said, placing a small kiss on her lips._

"_And I you."_

"_Where are we?_

_She laughed. "We're in my house." I looked at her confused. "This is just me healing. Give me some time."_

_I shook my head. "Your heart stopped._

_She smiled. "Listen harder," she murmured. "It's only been twenty-three seconds since your family left."_

_I closed my eyes_ and I opened them to reality.

_Thump._

_----_

_----_

_----_

_Thump._

_----_

_----_

_----_

_Thump._

Her heart was only beating every twenty-three and a quarter seconds. She was still alive, but barely. I cupped her face and pressed my lips against hers.

"Come back to me," I whispered. "I need you."

A small hand touched my shoulder. I looked to find the wide tawny eyes of my sister. "Take her to bed, Edward."

"What's going on?" I asked, turning my gaze from hers.

"Her body, in essence, is rebooting," my father answered from outside. "Alice didn't see it until now."

"How long?" I asked as I pulled Bella into my arms. I stood on my feet and walked toward Bella's bedroom.

Alice remained in the living room and answered.

"In about forty-three minutes."

"Good, now leave."

"We're –"

"Save it, Alice," I growled. "You're no longer welcome here."

"You still need us," she said defiantly.

"No, we don't," I said as I lay Bella down gently on the bed.

"We'll remain to patrol," she said lowly. "We love you, Edward. We did –"

"You could've warned me," I spat angrily. I carefully tucked blankets around Bella's pliant body. Her body temperature had risen another degree in the last few minutes.

"If we had, you'd never allowed it for it to happen."

"Of course I wouldn't have."

"She would've died in two weeks if we hadn't done it."

"Doesn't matter, the chances were slim for this to work."

"I know," Alice said. She walked closer to Bella's room, and I could see that she was leaning against the door, watching me. "It did though."

I snickered. "You don't know that."

"She doesn't die in two weeks," she hissed. "Do you think I liked getting visions of her dying over and over again?" I shook my head, wishing I could forget the possible visions of Bella's death. "We love her, too." I turned to see Alice take her face in her hands and sob.

I allowed the silence to linger while my trembling hands held Bella close. "Help me get her cleaned up," I said. "Her hair has blood in it."

She breathed deeply. "Her wound closed?"

"Yes."

"The blood didn't bother you?"

I shrugged. "When her life was in jeopardy, I didn't think about her blood. I didn't crave it. The bloodlust is there, and I'm sure it would always be. It wasn't the most important thing though. It was her, just her."

I heard her move around the house as I explained, knowing she could hear me.

She gathered some supplies and together we got her cleaned up. I thought that I'd have to do this again when she'd undergo the transformation.

There was no way I'd spend an eternity without her.

"You can change her now," Alice said quietly.

I shook my head. "Not until she's ready. I'm sure she'd want a chance to get things in order before I change her."

"Do you still think you can do it?"

"I have no choice, she wants me to."

"I can't see it," she said. "Not even the vision of you holding her ravished body."

"What does that even mean?" I groaned as we finished.

"That I'm completely useless," Alice grumbled. I sighed and looked to see ancient pain on her face. She wasn't used to having her visions hindered. She had depended on her gift for so long.

"I'm not ready to forgive any of you," I said firmly. "This may not have worked, and I can tell you right now, I would've stopped at nothing to destroy you and Carlisle."

"I know."

And she was gone.

Bella's breaths were still slow, matching the beat of her heart. I slid underneath the covers and pulled her warm body against me. I needed to feel her. I need to assure myself that she was still with me. I curled my unyielding body around hers, and savored the scent of her neck as I thought about how this day had started.

After everything that had occurred, I was conflicted. What she did was wrong. She should've discussed something like this with me. I withheld information from her because I knew she would've been angry that I wanted to take care of her.

She withheld information that risked her life.

If she had told me, would I have allowed this to happen? No. There was no doubt in my mind that I would've tied her up and held her hostage until she saw reason. Her life meant everything to me.

After my rebellious period, I mourned the deaths of those I destroyed. However, it was not because they deserved to live but because I took their lives without remorse. Despite the horrible memories of that point in my existence, I never had contemplated my death. I had accepted what I'd become.

Until now.

I would've killed my family for hurting Bella. That would've earned me a visit from the Volturi, namely Aro. He was very fond of Carlisle, and I had no doubt he'd do everything in his power to find Carlisle's killer.

I would've stood there and allowed them to destroy me, all so I could no longer suffer without Bella. In those short seconds where I thought she was dying, I'd seen this.

Alice had too.

Now, I had to live with the fact that my family betrayed me and so had my mate.

"Edward."

**

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AN: beta's by Stratan, thank you. I know this is short. I'm keeping my updates short so not to overwhelm me.

**Erica**


	18. Her Deception

**Flight of the Phoenix**

**Chapter Eighteen – Her Deception**

* * *

The whisper of my name sent both relief and anger coursing through me. I nuzzled my nose against her hair to calm myself. Since Bella's back was pressed tightly against my chest, and I could feel it as both her breathing and heart rate increased steadily. Inhaling deeply, my lungs filled with her luxurious scent, grounding me. Telling me that she was still alive and with me.

"I can't see," she whispered, her body minutely tensing. Was she trying to make light of the situation?

I found nothing humorous about what she'd done.

"It's dark," I said firmly, fighting to control my anger. I lightened my harsh tone with a gentle kiss on her head. I pulled her closer, her body and beating heart warming me.

"No," she whispered gravely. "I can't _see_ or read your mind."

Now I understood. I held still and replied, "Your powers –"

"Are gone," she finished. "It's very frustrating."

"You know this could be temporary," I said in a soothing tone. I had no idea if this was a good or bad thing. With her powers, she could protect herself, without them, I'd need the aid of my family to keep her safe.

She moved, shifting in my arms to face me. Her warm eyes beseeched me and sought answers that neither of us had. Why? What caused her to lose them? But what I needed to know the most, was why? Why did she think this was the only way?

"I had several visions once I had chosen to go ahead with the procedure," she said.

I stilled, my nostrils flaring, as I remembered the feral need to destroy all those that stood in my way; those who betrayed me, hurt her – hurt me.

As if she could read my thoughts and emotions, her hands cradled my face, soothing me instantly.

"They only did what I asked them to do," she said softly. "It was a risk that I was willing to take because the future would've been unbearable if I hadn't."

"The decision was not wholly yours, it should've been ours," I said, looking into her glistening eyes.

Bella sighed and shook her head. "You wouldn't have listened," she said, her voice rising. "Don't pretend that you would've." She pulled away from me, jumping off the bed. I longed to pull her to me, but I could see the anger radiating off her in waves.

"You're stubborn and so damn protective that'd you'd rather leave it to nature than to chance."

I growled and sat up, glaring at her. "When it comes to your well being, maybe so, but you based your decision on a future that's subjective."

Bella ran her hands over her face and screamed. I went to her, but she pushed me away. I barely moved, as she no longer had the strength to force away a vampire. I remained as close as possible; I needed to. Couldn't she understand that?

"I saw what would've happened. It was a fate worse than death," she spat, trying in vain to pull away.

"Don't," I gasped, pulling her closer. "I thought that you were gone. Don't pull away from me."

Bella searched my eyes, nodded, and laid her head on my chest. "You saw what happened after the weeks didn't you?"

She sobbed suddenly and dropped to the floor, taking me with her. "Tell me."

"In your arms was me," she whispered, her eyes looking at the wall behind me. "But it was not me. It was my body – soulless and feral. Nothing – not even decades – tamed what you held in your arms."

"Because you were brain dead when I tried to change you," I said. Bella nodded. "What did I do?"

Bella's tears fell over her pale cheeks continually, as sobs racked through her body. "You tried. Decades passed but there was no change in my nature. It wasn't me in that body. It wasn't until that thing destroyed an entire village in Africa that you finally realized it wasn't your Bella. You convinced Carlisle to destroy you after you had done the same to me."

"That would've devastated Esme if Carlisle had to do that to me," I said. Bella looked at me then and nodded.

"My change would've destroyed all of you."

"I can't trust you or my family," I said. "Not after this."

"I know," she whispered.

"You really hurt me."

"I know that, too."

I held her close as tears continued to flow and words left unsaid. I loved her, and I was sure that I would love her forever.

But damn if I'd ever trust her again.

Or Alice's visions.

Bella's hand ran over her head searching. "There's not even a scar," she whispered.

"No."

"I don't understand why I lost my powers," she said warily. "This isn't good."

"I'll keep you safe, Bella," I said.

"But who will keep you safe?"

I hissed and growled, pulling away, pacing. "Damn it, Bella. Don't fucking worry about me."

She was alarmed that I cursed but glared at me nonetheless. "I will worry about you as you do for me. You've chosen to push away your family. Do you think you'll be able to protect me from a few vampires?"

"Yes," I spat. "With my, gift I could stay one step ahead of them in a fight."

"Yes, and while you're busy circling with one or two, the third will pick me off."

My breathing was ragged and my body rigid with tension. She was right, one or two I could easily handle, but not three.

"If you refuse to have your family help us, then I'll need to call Jake."

Oh, now she was pushing my buttons. "That won't be necessary," I said angrily. She sighed and her eyes filled with tears. She held out her hands, an invitation to hold her. I groaned and if I could, I would've wept as her arms wound around me.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I don't want to fight. We'll think of something. I can't imagine what it must've been like."

"I thought you died, and it left hole in my chest, love." She had no idea the amount of pain and emptiness I felt for that short time. It may have been less than thirty seconds, but to me it felt like eternity.

She held me, and I held her. I wasn't even consciously aware of how much time we stood at the foot of her bed, comforting each other. She whispered her assurances that she'd make an effort not to keep things from me again.

I hated that now I was unable to read her thoughts, because I didn't believe her. Repeatedly I whispered how much I loved, needed her to survive. I didn't say these things to hurt her, or make her feel guilty. I said them because we were going to need communicate better.

"I love you, Edward," she whispered, as tears fell from her eyes and onto my shirt. I felt her soft, warm lips press against my Adam's apple. I closed my eyes, losing myself to her touch. Taking her face in my hands, I kissed her more fully. Her soft answering moan was as alluring as the rest of her.

"I need to feel you," I whispered, peppering kisses along her jawline. "To know you're real." Her head lulled to one side, allowing me access to the delicate slope of her neck. "We've been so desperate every time we've come together."

"Edward," she gasped. Her fingers wound through my hair as we stood, balancing herself on the tips of her toes.

"This time I want to savor," I said huskily, my hands ran over the curves of her body, down her back to cup her bottom. She moaned deeply, her tongue seeking mine. I pulled her up so that her legs could wrap around me. "Please tell me if I'm hurting you." I knew I'd have to take in every breath, every tremor and sound from her, to gauge if my hold was too strong.

She shook her head. "You won't hurt me." Her lips lingered beneath my ear, her teeth scraping the skin there.

"Bella," I groaned, my eyes rolling back. I laid her gently in her bed, watching her hair fan across the pale blue sheets. I straddled her hips, taking her face in my hands. With gentle pressure, my lips lingered over where the scar should've been. Her hands ran over my back soothing me. I hadn't realized that I was trembling.

"I'm alright, Edward," she said softly. My eyes remained opened, unable to quell the need to memorize every single feature of her lovely face. The way her long dark lashes cast shadows over the apples of her cheeks in the dimmed lighting. The creamy complexion of skin, and when flushed as it was now, reminded me of the petals of a pink rose.

My thumbs brushed over her subtle cheekbones, leaving a fiery wake of warmed skin. Her warm eyes that I could drown in; so beautiful, swirls of browns and tawny flecks. Her eyes held their gaze as I closed my mouth over hers.

Taking her bottom lip between my own for a moment, I sucked on it lightly. Then slowly I slipped my tongue between her parted lips. I groaned at the sweet taste of her, potent and warm in her mouth and against my tongue.

"Love you, so much," I gasped. My breathing was rough and ragged from all the emotions coursing through me. I never wanted her as much as I wanted her now.

"Always," she moaned. I moved along her body, pressing open-mouthed kisses along her neck, my tongue pressing against her pulse. My hands ran over her shoulders and arms, grasping her hips gently. I pressed myself against her, gasping from the warmth and the flush of her arousal.

At the base of her neck, the hollow had a tiny freckle there. I kissed it, savoring the taste of her skin, and she shuddered. Feeling her tremble beneath my hands and mouth sent another rush of desire through me.

We helped one another rid of ourselves of our clothing. Both kissing newly exposed skin, my usually cold skin warmed under her ministrations, and hers ignited under mine.

I slid inside her slowly, achingly so.

"I can't let you go," I said hoarsely as her back arched, her pink peaks calling for my attention. "Don't ask me to ever let you go."

"Never," she groaned, as my tongue laved a peak. I stroked slowly, deeply, enticing shudders and sweet sounds from within her.

"Forever," I whispered. "I need you forever."

"Yes," she hissed, her fingers digging into my skin.

I felt her body temperature rise as she silently screamed from her release, pulling me with her. I sunk my teeth in the mattress besides her, as I convulsed around her – inside her.

Utterly spent, I collapsed onto the bed and pulled her on top of me. My hands ran through her hair and back, her heart slowing with each passing minute.

"Did you mean it?" she asked softly. "You still want me after what I've done?"

"Yes. I meant it."

"I'm sorry for hurting you," she whispered, placing a kiss where my heart should lay.

"Don't ever do something like that to me again."

"I'm back to being a regular human."

"Yes, and none of those powers meant anything to me."

"I know."

"Bella," I said, realizing something. More confused than concerned I listened to be sure.

"Yes, Edward."

"I can't hear any voices."

* * *

**AN: Beta'd Stratan, thank you darling. I wanted to give these two a break. For those that doubted the reason why Edward couldn't just change her while she had the aneurysm, I hope this helped the reason. If not (yeah I'm talking about the flame I got) oh fucking well.**

**Erica**


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